De Soto

The changing political landscape around clean energy makes for an uncertain future for Kansas students training for jobs at the multi-billion-dollar Panasonic Energy plant in De Soto, Kansas.

Kansas leaders from both sides of the aisle stepped inside the $4 billion plant in De Soto to celebrate its imminent opening.

Residents in De Soto, Kansas, are being affected by major infrastructure improvements spurred by the construction of a Panasonic battery plant. With $250 million in public works projects underway, community members are experiencing "construction fatigue," but city leaders say they're already seeing a return on investment from construction of the 300-acre battery factory.

The Japanese electronics company's vision for a sprawling factory in northeast Kansas is taking shape quickly. Executives say it will employ 4,000 people directly, and help create an environment for even more jobs elsewhere in the region.

De Soto, Kansas, was selected by the company Panasonic as the site of its $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant in 2022, bringing 4,000 new jobs to the region. Now, just over one year away from the plant's planned opening, numerous public and private infrastructure developments are well underway in preparation.

Oklahoma lawmakers offered Panasonic a $698 million incentive package and funded $145 million in site improvements for an electric vehicle battery plant near Tulsa. The company said the decision won't affect its promised $4 billion factory in De Soto, Kansas.

Kansas City, Missouri, had several ballot questions to vote on — including a sales tax that could determine the future of the public bus system. Cities across Johnson and Wyandotte county also chose winners in local council, mayor, school board and other consequential races.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7! While Kansas City, Missouri, has no candidates on the ballot, voters will have several important questions to answer. In Johnson and Wyandotte counties, voters will have all kinds of local council, mayor, school board and other races to decide.

Diversity initiatives, book bans and teaching about race divided races for some Johnson County school boards down ideological lines.

City officials say the small city of De Soto, Kansas, is preparing for the influx of people and infrastructure that will arrive with the construction of Panasonic's battery plant.

Last week, Panasonic announced that De Soto, Kansas, has been chosen as the site of the company's new $4 billion electric vehicle battery plant.

Locals say De Soto needs to improve its infrastructure before thousands of people potentially move to the town. The Panasonic battery plant slated for development on the site of an old toxic ammunition plant gives them pause.