WHY IS LIFE SO HARD?Data-center field guide
Kansas facility dossier · sources checked 2026-11-08

Project Bluestem data center — Tonganoxie, Kansas

Project Bluestem is a proposed data center on more than 1,000 acres south of Tonganoxie in Leavenworth County. The county's temporary moratorium has expired, and no permit application had been filed as of the August reporting.

At a glance

Developer
Cloverleaf Infrastructure (per KSHB)
Jurisdiction
Leavenworth County, Kansas (south of Tonganoxie)
Land
More than 1,000 acres (KCUR); 1,000 acres (KSHB)
Power
About 1.2 GW, with an on-site gas plant (KSHB)
Approvals
No permit application filed as of Aug. 14, 2026 (KCUR); no formal county action at the Sept. 16 meeting (KSHB)
Status
Proposal under county review; moratorium expired

What the sources establish

  • The proposed Project Bluestem campus sits on more than 1,000 acres south of Tonganoxie, about half the size of Kansas City's Swope Park, according to KCUR. [1]
  • KCUR reported on Aug. 14, 2026, that no company had requested a permit for a data center on the site, though the developer's land south of Tonganoxie was confirmed. [1]
  • The county put a 90-day moratorium on data center development in May 2026, and it expired in August. [1]
  • The county planning commission voted 8-1 to take a second look at its draft data center regulations. [1]
  • Under a protest petition, if owners of 20 percent of neighboring land sign on, a special use permit would require three-fourths of the county commission's approval. [1]
  • KSHB reported that more than 1,000 people signed in to the Sept. 16, 2026, county commission meeting, and the commission took no formal action on the project. [2]
  • KSHB says the proposal doubled its electricity use from the original plan and adds a gas power plant, with the project expected to use 1.2 GW. [2]
  • Two commissioners did not attend the Sept. 16 meeting, and residents said they were disappointed. [2]
  • Cloverleaf's statement says the project would bring jobs and tax revenue for schools, roads and first responders, and it points residents to a project website for more information. [2]

Conflicts. Attendance is reported as more than 1,000 signed in (KSHB text), 1,100 (KSHB headline) and about 600 (KSHB photo caption). This page uses the text's figure. KCUR and KSHB give the same 1,000-acre scale. Axios's Sept. 25, 2026 report puts the capacity at 1.2 GW after the moratorium expired.

Timeline

  1. Mar. 2026 — Proposal first comes before the county commission (KSHB).
  2. May 2026 — County adopts a temporary moratorium on data centers (KCUR, KSHB).
  3. Aug. 12, 2026 — Planning commission takes up draft regulations; more than 100 people attend (KCUR, Aug. 14).
  4. Aug. 2026 — County moratorium expires (KCUR, KSHB).
  5. Sept. 16, 2026 — County commission meeting draws more than 1,000 sign-ins; no formal action (KSHB).

What this page does not establish

  • Whether the county has received a permit application.
  • The final regulations the planning commission will send to the commission.
  • The gas plant's size and permits.
  • The county commission's vote on any new moratorium.
  • Whether the developer's Wisconsin experience changes its plans here.

What to check next

  1. Leavenworth County planning commission and commission minutes.
  2. Any special use permit applications for the site.
  3. Kansas Corporation Commission or utility filings for the gas plant.
  4. Court filings if residents pursue a lawsuit.