Data Center Developer Sweetens the Pot for Wary Residents

Residents of one Kansas city are being pitched something unusual along with a massive data center: a decade of payments toward their bills. Digital Realty says it will give every household in De Soto $1,000 a year in utility and property tax credits for 10 years as it pushes ahead on a 280-acre data center project that's set to eventually span 1,400 acres. The company, which counts Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Nvidia as clients, frames the offer as part of a $20 million local investment that it says will generate tax revenue, "thousands" of construction jobs, and 250 long-term positions, per CBS News.

The pitch comes as data centers face growing resistance nationwide over concerns about environmental impact, resource use, and higher utility costs, according to a recent CBS poll. Residents in De Soto count themselves among those who are wary. "It's a bribe, is what it looks like," one skeptical local tells KSHB of the $1,000-per-year offer, while another notes: "Is that enough? How much is the value of our community?" Resident Doug Geist tells KMBC there should be a citywide vote on the center, but if the plans move forward either way, "we'll just have to see what happens ... to our utility bills, and what happens to our water supply."