Climate
Privacy
Bob Dylan
Drones
Data Centers
AI Governance
2026 Maine Senate Race
Last Update: 08/01/2026 at 12:01 PM EST
Compass Files Shawnee County Permit Amid Moratorium
Coverage from KSNT and others
Articles
4
Days Since Update
3
The Story
Compass Datacenters has filed a conditional-use permit application with Shawnee County for a proposed data center in the Wakarusa area southwest of Topeka. The filing begins a county review process while Topeka's City Council maintains a one-year moratorium on new data center applications within city limits to study impacts and establish policy. Officials and residents are focusing on water and electricity use, infrastructure, noise, environmental review, siting, emergency services, and public participation.
First Article: 07/30/26
Latest Article: 07/30/26
The Bigger Picture
Articles in this story are part of a shaping these topics.
Kansas Data Centers Face Local Pushback
Emporia’s 1,000-acre Flint Hills Digital Campus faces organized opposition and unresolved questions about ownership, financing, water, power, and the approval process.
Counties Pause Data Center Projects
Santa Fe County adopted an 18-month moratorium and expanded review to projects using one megawatt or more.
Articles
07-28-2026
KSNT / Matthew Self
Topeka leaders Robert Perez and Mayor Spencer Duncan discussed a one-year data center moratorium on July 28 as Compass Datacenters filed a Shawnee County application for a Wakarusa area project.
07-27-2026KSNT / Ben Nash
Compass Datacenters held a public open house in Topeka, Kansas on July 28 while Topeka City Council imposed a one-year moratorium on new data center applications.
07-27-2026KSNT / Matthew Self
Compass Datacenters filed a Conditional Use Permit with Shawnee County on July 24 for a proposed data center on Southwest 85th Street in the Wakarusa area near Topeka.
07-27-2026KSNT / Matthew Self
Topeka City Manager Robert Perez said a July 28 meeting will follow Compass Datacenters' July 24 Conditional Use Permit filing for a Wakarusa-area data center.