Growing number of county moratoriums on data centers in Nebraska, Iowa
Multiple counties in Iowa and Nebraska are enacting or considering moratoriums on data center development. In Gage County, Nebraska, the Planning Commission recommended an 18-month moratorium due to public concerns about environmental impacts, particularly water and electricity usage. This recommendation now awaits approval from the county commission.
An increasing number of counties in Iowa and Nebraska are implementing or proposing moratoriums on data center development. In Northwest Iowa, Woodbury, Plymouth, and Sioux counties have already enacted moratoriums in June. Nebraska has 11 counties with existing moratoriums, with four more considering them as temporary measures while drafting specific data center regulations.
The Gage County Planning Commission in Beatrice, Nebraska, recently recommended an 18-month moratorium after a four-hour public meeting. Residents, including Wanda Garrett, expressed strong environmental concerns, particularly regarding the water and electricity demands of data centers, arguing that developers do not prioritize local community welfare. Eli Waring, an associate developer for Tenaska, an energy company involved in a Google data center project near Lincoln, was the only individual to speak against the proposed moratorium.
Separately, in South Dakota, a "data center bill of rights" became effective on July 1. This new legislation mandates that data centers compensate for any increases in utility rates they cause and explicitly defines local control over data center ordinances.