The Butler Rural Electric Company (BREC) wants to build two large data centers next to its existing substations near Rose Hill, Kansas — each able to use up to 10 million watts of power. One proposed site sits right behind a field on 140th Butler Road, surrounded by neighborhoods on every side.

Rose Hill resident Andy Robinson has lived there for six years and says the land is too special to lose. "I cannot see this gorgeous land here turn into something that's hideous looking," Robinson said, according to KAKE News.

Neighbors are also worried about noise and power. The substation already runs a loud diesel generator, and residents like Gianna Scott want answers about how a data center would actually be powered. "So, is that what's going to be running the data center? Is it diesel generators? Are they going to be adding more? Where is this 10 megawatts of power supposed to come from?" Scott asked, according to KAKE News.

County officials say no data center deal is final yet, but Butler County has been drafting data center regulations that could be adopted as soon as the first commission meeting in October — before residents get a real chance to weigh in. And under current Kansas law, people who live just outside city limits, even a half-mile from the proposed site, have no legal standing to challenge the county's decision.

Rose Hill deserves a real say in what happens to its land, its quiet, and its power grid before any regulations are adopted. The Butler County Commission should pause and hold open public hearings for everyone affected — not just residents inside city limits — before voting in October.

Sign the petition to stop the Butler County data center and demand a real public vote before it's too late.