Sand weighs in on data center regulations during town hall at MCC Thursday
Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand, during a town hall in Marshalltown, expressed his views on data center regulation. He called for a bill to ensure data centers pay their full share, meet setback and transparency requirements for water and electrical usage, and face consequences for violations, criticizing current subsidies and secrecy.
Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand addressed residents at a town hall in Marshalltown, Marshall County, where he outlined his proposals for stricter data center regulations. During the event at Marshalltown Community College, an attendee questioned Sand's position on data center construction in small towns, prompting him to articulate a statewide approach to the issue.
Sand declared his intent to enact legislation requiring data centers to "pay full freight" and "carry their own weight," including mandatory setback requirements and enhanced transparency regarding water and electrical consumption. He expressed concern over the "hundreds of millions of dollars" in subsidies currently provided to data centers and criticized the lack of oversight and secrecy surrounding their development, stating that Iowans are dissatisfied with the current situation and desire real consequences for violations. Sand emphasized that any new law should improve the lives of local residents, not diminish them.
Beyond data centers, Sand also fielded questions on other key issues. He discussed improving conditions for nursing home staff, advocating for increased reimbursement rates for direct care workers and stricter accountability for corporate nursing homes to prevent excessive profit-taking. He also called for anti-trust measures to foster competition in agricultural products, citing the sale of the Iowa Fertilizer Plant, and proposed reforms to the private school voucher program, including audits, oversight rules, and income limits to prevent waste and ensure public accountability for public funds.