Emporia KS high-impact data center ban ballot question
Emporia, Kansas — Citizen-Initiated Ordinance to Prohibit 'High-Impact Data Centers' on the Nov. 3, 2026 Ballot
Emporia, KS · Emporia, KS, initiated ordinance on high-impact data centers (Nov. 3, 2026 ballot)
- Status
- Proposed / pending
- Applies to
- Data center developers in Emporia, KS (if approved)
- Enforced by
- City of Emporia
Emporia, Kansas voters will decide on Nov. 3, 2026 whether to adopt a citizen-proposed ordinance prohibiting 'high-impact data centers' in the city. The proposal covers facilities mainly used to house and run computer servers that need more than 10 megawatts of electricity at peak or more than 100,000 gallons of water a day. A companion petition question concerns battery energy storage systems.
Who is protected: Emporia, KS residents
Legal detail
Citizen-initiated ordinance submitted by Emporia Neighbors United; signatures verified by the county clerk; placed on the ballot by court order; Nov. 3, 2026 election, city voters only. 'High-impact data center' = primary use housing and operating computer servers AND >10 MW peak electricity or >100,000 gallons/day water. The Gazette notes a drafting error (penalty cross-reference to 'Article 15' instead of 'Section 11'). NOT ESTABLISHED: exact ballot wording; text of the BESS question.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Emporia, KS |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | Emporia, KS, initiated ordinance on high-impact data centers (Nov. 3, 2026 ballot) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Because You Asked: Your questions about Emporia's data center vote answered — Emporia Gazette (Sept. 30, 2026) |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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