Ottawa, Kansas Voters Approve 10-Year Ban on Large Data Centers

Voters in Ottawa, Kansas, approved a 10-year moratorium on data centers with capacity above 25MW, with roughly 72 percent of ballots cast in favor during a poll held alongside the 2026 midterm elections. The measure was pushed by Ottawa United, a cross-partisan citizen group formed in opposition to a proposed 450MW facility at Proximity Park, a 300-acre city-owned site.

The city commission had agreed to sell the land to Lightfield Energy LLC, which planned a data center paired with a natural gas power plant. After more than 18 months of talks failed to produce a development agreement, councilors terminated the sale in September, before the vote took place.

Two other Kansas communities, Emporia and El Dorado, also approved data center moratoriums at the same election. The article notes that more than 40 similar measures were backed by voters nationwide.

For developers and lenders, the practical implication is that large-load data center sites in Kansas municipalities may face local bans that override earlier land sale or entitlement expectations, so zoning and moratorium status should be checked before underwriting.