Riley County KS 6-month data center moratorium (2026)

Riley County, Kansas — 6-month moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage centers, approved by commissioners in April 2026 and effective upon publication in The Mercury (the official county newspaper) on May 18, 2026. Expires November 12, 2026. Commissioners may extend, amend, or end the resolution before expiration. SCOPE: county-wide; applies to data centers and battery energy storage centers. THRESHOLD: not defined in accessible coverage; the moratorium appears to cover data center land-use applications broadly. PROCESS: Resolution directs county staff to review existing land development regulations; Planning Board/Board of Zoning Appeals to bring forward proposed amendments. County has signaled it will not grant tax abatements for such projects. No applications were on file prior to adoption. NEIGHBORING CONTEXT: Pottawatomie County (adjacent to Riley) attracted interest from Beltline Energy for a data center near Jeffrey Energy Center; Riley County officials cited Commissioner John Ford's comment that the topic 'literally changes on a dime.' KANSAS CONTEXT: Riley County joins Harvey, Sedgwick, Saline, Geary, Franklin, and Shawnee counties with similar pauses; the statewide trend also produced state legislative activity (SB 531, which was proposed but not confirmed passed). County seat Manhattan, KS is also home to Kansas State University.