Jackson County temporarily halts new data center, battery energy storage sites
Jackson County is putting the brakes on new data center sites as local governments around the Kansas City metro react to the Midwest data center boom.
The Jackson County Legislature passed a temporary ban Monday that will halt the approval of data centers and battery energy storage (BESS) sites in unincorporated areas of the county for about six months.
The ordinance set a 180-day moratorium on any land use applications that propose building a data center in county limits. It would also enact a ban of the same length for applications regarding BESS sites, facilities that capture energy from various sources and store them in batteries.
The Legislature has been weighing the ban since early April, The Star previously reported. An earlier version of the ordinance would have instead set a 120-day moratorium.
Sponsor Sean Smith, who represents the 6th District, and other legislators have described the moratorium as a chance for Jackson County to set more detailed permanent policies around data centers and land use. Legislators previously noted the ordinance was inspired by “widespread community opposition and resident concerns related to large industrial technology facilities.”
Smith also previously noted that before the county introduced a ban, some Jackson County residents were unable to find opportunities to track or protest proposed new data center sites before they passed through city zoning processes. The new county legislation would only deal with projects in unincorporated parts of the county though, not in cities.
Legislative Chair Manny Abarca introduced a supplementary resolution Monday, which, if passed, would direct the county to review its zoning and development standards during the 180-day moratorium.
“Jackson County welcomes innovation and investment,” Abarca said Monday. “But we also have a responsibility to ensure these projects are developed responsibly, with community input and appropriate safeguards.”
At least 10 “hyperscale” data centers, including five projects that will use over 100 megawatts of capacity, are in progress in the Kansas City metropolitan area, The Star previously reported.
A similar moratorium proposal is currently before the Independence City Council, sponsored by councilmember Brice Stewart, whose district includes a 400-acre, $150 billion hyperscale data center under construction. The Independence Guard Alliance, a watchdog group founded by those who live closest to the data center site, has been pitching a similar moratorium to council members for several weeks.
Data center moratoriums have also passed in Leavenworth, Kansas, and in Kansas City proper. The Kansas City Council passed legislation in late 2025 placing more limits on where data centers can be built. The council also increased the requirements for public hearings and special approvals associated with any proposed data center development project.
Residents’ response to the moratorium has centered around concerns of potential lifestyle interruptions that data centers can present in rural areas. Meanwhile, labor groups around the county have expressed concern that the moratorium will exclude county residents from growth opportunities in the growing data center economy.
