Lyon County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Emporia, Americus Township and Center Township
Lyon County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Lyon County is home to Emporia, Americus Township, Center Township and Jackson Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Americus / Lyon County (Flint Hills Digital Campus), KS data center moratorium”. Construction employs 366, up 32.6% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 202 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Lyon County
Lyon County is home to Emporia, Americus Township, Center Township and Jackson Township.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Lyon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 32,110 | 32,266 | ▲ 0.5% | 18th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,174 | 14,666 | ▼ 3.3% | 73rd of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,370 | $49,471 | ▲ 36.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 276 | 366 | ▲ 32.6% | 17th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 5.2% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 202 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 932 MW of capacity, 78% of it natural gas, the 5th largest fleet in Kansas. Employers here counted 14,666 jobs in 2025, down 3.3% from 2019. Evergy Kansas Central, Inc is the largest utility serving Lyon County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 32,266 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Lyon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +202 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lyon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 341,806 | 14.29¢ | 44% |
| Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 730 MW | 78% |
| Wind | 200 MW | 21% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 0% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emporia Energy Center | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Natural gas | 730 MW | 2008 |
| Reading Wind Project | Southern Power Co | Wind | 200 MW | 2020 |
| Americus | Today's Power, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
| Thunderbird Generator (Tbird) | 4 Rivers Electric Cooperative, Inc. | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Lyon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,666 | $49,471 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 366 | $55,775 | 0.47 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Lyon County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Americus / Lyon County (Flint Hills Digital Campus), KS data center moratorium | In force | 2026-07 | |
| Local moratorium on data centers through January 22, 2027 | In force | 2026-07 |
Lyon County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lyon County, Coffey County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County | 32,266 | ▼ 3.3% | 932 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Chase County | 2,572 | ▼ 21.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Coffey County | 8,467 | ▼ 5.2% | 1,527 MW | — | — | — |
| Greenwood County | 5,826 | ▼ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Morris County | 5,348 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Osage County | 15,693 | ▲ 4.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Wabaunsee County | 7,018 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Lyon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lyon County, Kansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Lyon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, Flint Hills Rural E C A, Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas Central, Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Emporia, KS in?
Emporia is in Lyon County, Kansas. About 24,137 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lyon County?
4 operating plants with 932 MW of capacity. The largest is Emporia Energy Center (730 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Lyon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lyon County.
Is Lyon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,666 jobs in 2025 against 15,174 in 2019 (-3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 276 to 366.
Does Lyon County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Lyon County, 2 in force.