County zoning board takes public comment Monday on data center, battery storage rules
County commissioners began reviewing data center development rules in February 2026.
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Become a subscriberMCPHERSON, Kan. — McPherson County's temporary moratorium on data centers is set to expire in December, and residents get their scheduled chance to weigh in on the rules that could replace it at a 7 p.m. hearing Monday, Aug. 10. The McPherson County Board of Planning & Zoning Appeals has set a single public hearing on zoning amendments covering seven subjects, among them data centers, battery energy systems and hydrogen energy transfer, according to the county agenda.
A zoning administrator staff report included in the city of McPherson's Aug. 4 Board of Zoning Appeals packet said the moratorium is a temporary measure and that, if no action is taken, it may be allowed to expire. The report said "County commissioners have indicated they are willing to consider longer-term or permanent restrictions if there is sufficient public interest and input," and it encouraged residents with opinions on data center development to attend and comment.
That report described the Aug. 10 meeting as a county commission discussion of the moratorium; the county's own agenda places the hearing before the planning and zoning appeals board.
Battery energy systems, hydrogen energy transfer and permitted uses in the county's M1 and M2 industrial districts are folded into the same hearing, putting the siting ground rules for that class of energy and industrial projects before the board in one sitting.
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