Linn County seeks residents for new Data Center Advisory Committee
Linn County, Iowa, is forming a 20- to 25-member resident advisory committee to recommend possible zoning changes for large-scale data centers in unincorporated areas. The committee will operate while the county’s 18-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers remains in effect and will examine issues including energy, water, infrastructure and land-use planning.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved moving forward with a Data Center Advisory Committee as the county continues an 18-month moratorium on new large-scale data centers. The committee is expected to include 20 to 25 county residents, representatives from every Linn County city, and representatives from the Benton and Johnson county boards of supervisors.
The group will meet six to eight times between December 2026 and June 2027 to review data center siting, zoning, energy and grid infrastructure, water resources, emergency response and transportation. Planning and Development Director Charlie Nichols said the committee will provide guidance for the Board of Supervisors rather than decide whether data centers should be allowed. The board will retain authority over any eventual zoning changes.