Barber County Approves Google Project Helium Data Center

Google will construct a 1.7 million square-foot air-cooled data center, designated as Project Helium, near Sharon, Kansas, following a 2-0 approval by the Barber County Commission on August 31, 2026. One commission member abstained from the vote, which occurred despite protests from dozens of local residents.

The facility is designed as a closed-loop system expected to begin operations in 2030. The project is projected to create 500 permanent jobs and thousands of temporary construction positions. To secure the agreement, the company will pay all applicable ad valorem property taxes and provide $5.5 million in community benefit payments to the county.

Operational constraints include a prohibition on drilling new water wells and strict noise decibel limits for day and night. Google must also provide a $5 million security deposit for road maintenance and decommissioning security equal to 125% of estimated costs. The contract further requires the company to prioritize local vendors and labor.