Kansas Commerce briefs Ottawa County on data center siting and local impacts

Paul Hughes of the Kansas Department of Commerce presented online to the Ottawa County commission about data center development, explaining that data centers are sized by power (megawatts) and commonly require sizable acreage. Hughes said counties should first verify power availability with local utilities and that "Kansas law requires data centers to pay their own power infrastructure." Commissioners raised concerns about electricity draw, potential utility bill increases, water usage, noise, acreage needs, and zoning.

Hughes said data centers vary in scale—"the most common are the smaller data centers"—and that project developers typically contact utilities first, then identify landowners willing to sell. He suggested the county prepare a master plan to guide siting and zoning decisions rather than making ad hoc zoning changes, and said Kansas Commerce can provide information to counties exploring interest from prospective companies. Commissioners asked whether trends such as small modular nuclear reactors might affect siting; Hughes said such technologies are increasingly part of long‑range site planning.