OTTAWA, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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After Ottawa United's months-long push to prohibit data centers in Ottawa, Kansas, voters overwhelmingly approved a 10-year ban on hyperscale data centers in Tuesday's general election.
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As of Wednesday afternoon, 71.85% of voters approved the ordinance while 28.15% voted no.
"I have never been prouder of anything in my life besides my children," Franklin County resident Jessica Christopher, who wrote the approved ordinance, said.
A once-proposed 300-acre data center development at Ottawa's Proximity Park energized local efforts to push for the ban.
“It gives you faith back in our democratic process and the fact that you can have a voice," Ottawa resident Kim Conard said.
After forming in May, Ottawa United Inc., a group of Franklin County and Ottawa residents, gathered enough signatures on an initiative petition for the proposed ordinance to go before the city commission for approval or in front of voters on the November ballot.
When the city commission took no action on the proposed ordinance, Ottawa residents Michael Lewis and Conard sued the city alleging officials ignored the citizen-led petition.
In October, a Franklin County District Court judge ruled voters would decide whether to ban data centers that use more than 25 megawatts of power in city limits.
Ottawa city manager Thatcher Moddie provided a statement to KSHB 41 News Wednesday in response to the outcome of the vote, which reads below.
“While this changes Ottawa’s ability to be in the running for the more advanced developments emerging in our region, it doesn’t change our mission. We’ll remain focused on development, jobs and property tax relief. There’s no question this is a hard-working community that has a lot to offer, and we’ll continue to look for the right development opportunities at Proximity Park and throughout the city.”
"We’re not saying that no data center can be here over the next 10 years. They can, we’re just restricting the size," Conard said.
Some Ottawa residents previously told KSHB 41 News they did not have enough information about the potential impact of data centers to feel comfortable with one coming to town.
"We got to say that if you’re going to have a data center here, we need guardrails, we need guidelines to protect our community, protect our environment," Conard said.
Members of the Ottawa United group say the 10-year ban provides time to get answers and guidelines.
Kansas law allows voters to repeal or amend the ordinance before the city commission can take action in 10 years.
“Why not put a 25 megawatt here, go down the road, put a 25 megawatt in Osawatomie, go down the road, put a 25 megawatt in Paola," Christopher said. "Spread it around. There’s no reason one city should be hosting all the responsibility (of a hyperscale data center)."
Conard, a Democrat, and Christopher, a Republican, said people on both sides of the aisle and in the middle came together for Ottawa United.
“It used to be Republicans and Democrats could disagree, but they could still get things done together," Conard said. "It was nice seeing that happen again, even on this small level as a city ordinance.”
Background on proposed data center in Ottawa
In December 2024, the city entered a sales contract with developer Lightfield Energy for the proposed data center at Proximity Park.
After the city granted Lightfield Energy multiple due diligence extensions, city staff updated the city commission in September, saying the developer had not yet submitted its required development and incentive agreements.
With about a month left of the due diligence extension, the city commission voted to terminate its sales contract with Lightfield Energy.
Conard said that despite the contract termination, it was important for Ottawa United to continue advocating for the ban.
“There could be another company — for all we know — on the line," Conard said.
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