Kansas

Civic/Governance Barriers activates on moratorium-class action (C1), meaningful 2026 race (C3) — governance instruments on the electoral, legislative, and regulatory surface (protocol §10; Overview Civic breakout). Weather/Climate activates on drought-emergency siting (W1): SB 531 (2026) would have prohibited new large-load data centers (expected monthly demand ≥10 MW) in any county with a drought emergency declared under the Kansas Emergency Management Act within the preceding three years; the bill died in committee April 2026 (Kansas Legislature — SB 531). Energy/Power (grid strain, 600 MW loads) and Water/Geology (cooling water, e.g. Lawrence's ~600M-gal scenarios) are the dominant local drivers (Lawrence Journal-World — big numbers). Capital Flows is a strong secondary stressor: SB 98's 20-year sales-tax exemption, resident demands to strip property-tax incentives (De Soto/Digital Realty) and force full school-tax payment, and the explicit anti-cost-shift/no-discount rate design make cost allocation and tax-break economics central (KVOE, Kansas City Star — De Soto).

The open 2026 governor's race is a genuine data-center contest. Among ~10 hopefuls: supporting a statewide moratorium/pause are Cindy Holscher (D, first Democrat to call for one), and Republicans Philip Sarnecki (5-year moratorium + county referendum), Charlotte O'Hara ('day one' moratorium) and Stacy Rogers; opposing are Democrats Ethan Corson and Curt Skoog (local control) and Republicans SoS Scott Schwab, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and Nick Reinecker (Kansas City Star).

No statewide moratorium; several consequential county moratoria. Geary County commissioners approved a 12-month (one-year) moratorium 3-0 on June 22, 2026 (KS Press, Ranson Financial). Riley County is under a six-month data-center/BESS moratorium ending Nov. 12, 2026 (Ranson Financial). Harper County adopted a temporary moratorium (Resolution 2026-09, adopted June 1, effective through June 11, 2027) (Gyp Hill Premiere). Reno County (Hutchinson) commissioners voted against a data-center/BESS ban despite an 875-signature petition (OK Energy Today). Lawrence and Douglas County are actively weighing moratoria (Lawrence Journal-World). SB 531 (drought-emergency county ban on new ≥10 MW data centers) was introduced March 2026 and died in committee April 2026 (Kansas Legislature — SB 531).

State framework is the 2025 SB 98 sales/use tax-exemption + guardrail law: 20-year sales/use tax exemption for data centers investing $250M+ and creating 20+ jobs, with a 10-year electricity purchase agreement, water recirculation requirements, and a provision that data centers cannot get discounted electric rates so residential/ag/small-business classes do not subsidize them (KVOE, Lawrence Journal-World). Utility Evergy has committed that data centers will pay a premium, not a volume discount (Shawnee County briefing video).

None identified. No Nov. 2026 Kansas state or local data-center ballot measure surfaced; Emporia residents gathered signatures for a possible ban/referendum, but the city commission process (July 15 rezoning) had not produced a ballot measure (KS Press — rural coalition).

De Soto (Johnson County): 'Astra North' proposed ~600 MW project near the Panasonic battery plant, plus resident demands for power/water caps and full taxation (Lawrence Journal-World — Astra North, Kansas City Star — De Soto pushback). Edgerton: the DAMAC Digital $860M data center was rejected 3-2 by the Edgerton planning commission (Ingram's). Emporia: 'Flint Hills Digital Campus' contested with protests and petition drive (KVOE). Panasonic De Soto plant pivoting to data-center battery-cell production ($2.18B global investment) (KCUR).

Jobs-vs-incentive tradeoffs surface via SB 98's 20-job threshold and Panasonic's battery-plant pivot to data-center cells (jobs anticipated 2028-29), but no distinct construction-labor organizing dispute rose to prominence (KCUR).

Growing, concentrated in the Kansas City metro (De Soto/Edgerton/Johnson County) and central/eastern counties, expanding rapidly since SB 98 (2025) (Lawrence Journal-World).

"To pass a hard, townwide cap on combined data center power and water use; ban all property tax incentives for Digital Realty, make them pay 100% of their taxes to our schools; adopt emergency updates enforcing strict low frequency noise limits at property lines." — De Soto resident Jennifer Sharp (Kansas City Star).

Kansas City Star — governor hopefuls split; KS Press — Geary 12-mo; Ranson Financial — Riley; Gyp Hill Premiere — Harper Res 2026-09; OK Energy Today — Reno rejects ban; KVOE — SB 98/Emporia; Lawrence Journal-World — Astra North; Ingram's — DAMAC rejected; Kansas Legislature — SB 531