Sumner County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wellington, Belle Plaine Township and Gore Township
New generation is lining up in Sumner County. Sumner County is home to Wellington, Belle Plaine Township, Gore Township and Belle Plaine. 765 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Evergy Kansas Central, Inc (natural gas), the largest pipeline among Kansas's counties. Construction employs 178, up 29.0% since 2019. 307 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Sumner County
Sumner County is home to Wellington, Belle Plaine Township, Gore Township and Belle Plaine.
And 15 smaller places.
- Mulvane also extends into Sedgwick County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Milton, Peck.
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 Sumner County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,341 | 22,312 | ▼ 0.1% | 25th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,761 | 6,354 | ▼ 6.0% | 86th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,561 | $46,105 | ▲ 26.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 138 | 178 | ▲ 29.0% | 21st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 307 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 765 MW | 151% of today's fleet | 1st of 10 by size |
Employers here counted 6,354 jobs in 2025, down 6.0% from 2019. Its power plants have 506 MW of capacity, 90% of it wind. Evergy Kansas South, Inc is the largest utility serving Sumner County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.25¢/kWh in 2024. 22,312 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Sumner County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +307 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sumner County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evergy Kansas South, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 302,508 | 14.25¢ | 32% |
| City of Mulvane - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Oxford - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sedgwick County El Coop Assn Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sumner-Cowley Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wellington - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 457 MW | 90% |
| Natural gas | 40 MW | 8% |
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPWP | Wild Plains Wind Project, LLC | Wind | 307 MW | 2025 |
| Slate Creek Wind Project LLC | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 150 MW | 2015 |
| Wellington 1 | City of Wellington - (KS) | Petroleum | 24 MW | 1972 |
| Wellington 2 | City of Wellington - (KS) | Natural gas | 20 MW | 1989 |
| Oxford (KS) | City of Oxford - (KS) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1999 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viola Generating Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 765 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc |
The Sumner County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,354 | $46,105 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 178 | $68,895 | 0.53 |
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 Sumner County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sumner County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Kingman County, Sedgwick County.
Sumner County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Sumner County, Kay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumner County | 22,312 | ▼ 6.0% | 506 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
| Butler County | 69,484 | ▲ 4.3% | 223 MW | — | — | — |
| Cowley County | 34,382 | ▼ 3.3% | 41 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County OK | 4,067 | ▼ 4.8% | 299 MW | — | — | — |
| Harper County | 5,370 | ▼ 0.2% | 298 MW | — | — | — |
| Kay County OK | 43,490 | ▼ 0.6% | 1,358 MW | — | — | — |
| Kingman County | 7,029 | ▲ 16.7% | 618 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sedgwick County | 538,433 | ▲ 3.4% | 389 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Kansas
Sumner County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sumner County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Sumner County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Evergy Kansas South, Inc, City of Mulvane - (KS), City of Oxford - (KS), Sedgwick County El Coop Assn Inc. The largest, Evergy Kansas South, Inc, charged residential customers 14.25¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sumner County?
5 operating plants with 506 MW of capacity. The largest is WPWP (307 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Sumner County?
765 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Evergy Kansas Central, Inc.
Are there data centers in Sumner County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sumner County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sedgwick County.
Is Sumner County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,354 jobs in 2025 against 6,761 in 2019 (-6.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 138 to 178.
Does Sumner County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sumner County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.