Linn County Supervisors Approve 18-Month Data Center Moratorium
Linn County’s Board of Supervisors has approved an 18-month moratorium on data center development on unincorporated rural land, despite already having a detailed ordinance in place. Critics argue the pause is unnecessary and will push developers to communities with weaker regulations. The decision reflects ongoing debates about data center impacts.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors recently approved an 18-month moratorium on data center development in unincorporated rural areas, making it the eighth Iowa county to do so. This decision comes despite the county already having a comprehensive ordinance requiring water use studies, water agreements with county oversight, economic development payments, and public access to construction and operation documents.
Supervisor Sami Scheetz, who voted against the moratorium, expressed concerns that it would deter developers from building in Linn County and instead drive them to smaller communities with less stringent regulations. He cited an instance where Google, after initially working with Linn County, turned to Palo to annex a proposed data center site, thereby circumventing the county's ordinance. Scheetz argued that closing the county with the strongest protections would push projects towards areas with the weakest regulations, undermining regional protection.
Supervisors Brandy Z. Meisheid and Kirsten Running-Marquardt, who supported the pause, stated it would provide time to review the county’s comprehensive plan, conduct additional water studies, and monitor potential state-level legislation. However, critics argue that the existing ordinance, in place for less than six months, has not been fully tested and already mandates developer-funded water plans, making further pauses illogical.