Data Center Expansion in Kansas City: Environmental and Fiscal  Burdens on Local Residents

 

Bella R. Yeo
Dr. Kandice Grossman, Faculty Mentor

Kansas City has become one of the fastest growing data center hubs in the country, with 31 facilities currently under development in varying stages with major corporations establishing a large regional presence in the city. Investigating whether  the economic benefits promised by data center expansion are proportionate to the environmental and fiscal burdens placed on local KC residents. And drawing investigative journalism, public records, environmental reports, and peer-reviewed policy research, this paper argues that Kansas City residents are absorbing costs that corporations and policymakers have largely obscured from public view. These burdens fall disproportionately on low-income households, raising urgent questions about environmental justice, corporate accountability and democratic participation in land use decisions. Research goal is to contribute to the growing body of research on the hidden costs of digital infrastructure and calls for more transparency standards and regulatory frameworks to protect communities from unchecked data center expansion.

 

Keywords: Data Centers, Kansas City

Topic(s):Justice Systems
Sociology
Sociology

Presentation Type: Oral Presentation

Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA