Kansas Town Sues Residents Who Want to Ban Data Centers

A tiny Kansas town is at war with itself over a politically wired AI data center. In Edgerton, which boasts a population of about 2,000, city officials went so far as to sue their own residents after locals gathered enough signatures to force a vote on banning data centers, reports the Wall Street Journal. A judge tossed that suit last month, but the ballot measure still hasn't been allowed onto November's ballot, and locals are now suing the city over that. Residents recently packed a City Council meeting, with some calling for council members to resign.

Driving the tension: a planned data hub from Damac Properties, a Dubai developer with long-running business ties to President Trump and a promised $20 billion US data-center push. Backers pitch the jobs and growth they say will come with such centers; opponents cite rising taxes, industrial creep, water and diesel-fuel issues, and a city decision that quietly made data centers automatically allowed in Edgerton's industrial zone. This Kansas Reflector opinion piece notes how the data center discussion could "define the race for governor" in the Sunflower State. The Kansas City Star, meanwhile, takes a look at other rural Kansas communities also advocating for bans on data centers.