One of the 2 local grassroots organizations on opposite ends of the data center debate is expanding its focus as the November 3 general election approaches.
Emporians for Progress had started as a group supporting the work of Emporia city commissioners and city leaders in light of increasingly harsh comments since the Flint Hills Digital Campus was announced over 3 months ago — especially following a heated City Commission meeting in late July that led to the physical removal of Emporia High teacher Lux Claridge and the city’s subsequent decision to withhold public comment opportunities for meetings last month.
The group is now officially opposed to the petition questions brought forward by Emporia Neighbors United, the grassroots group adamantly opposed to data centers and related equipment. Emporians for Progress spokesman Casey Woods says there are several reasons for the pushback against the petitions, saying a hold on technological matters for up to a decade, as the high-impact data center petition wants to do, puts Emporia in a difficult spot when it comes to business and competition.
Woods also says it doesn’t make sense to him — and others — to eliminate the chance of a data center without seeing the details.
Woods says Emporians for Progress understands the economic climate Emporia has seen for nearly 2 years, and it is looking to stabilize if not grow the population, increase the median household incomes and creating jobs sought by Emporia State University and Flint Hills Technical College students.
Neighbors United representatives, meanwhile, have gone to other Kansas towns to try to halt data center plans elsewhere across the state.
Question 2 on the Emporia ballot would ban high-impact data centers for a decade if approved. Question 3 would ban battery energy storage systems.
KVOE News is working to confirm schedules for a possible Issues Forum next month.
