Johnson County proposes stricter data center ordinance
Johnson County, Iowa, is developing a restrictive data center ordinance for unincorporated areas, focusing on water usage, geographic limits, and cooling system requirements. This proactive measure aims to prevent unwanted data center developments, drawing on lessons from nearby Linn County. Supervisors are also considering grid reliability and energy efficiency, and residents voiced concerns about environmental impact.
Johnson County, Iowa, is drafting a stringent data center ordinance intended to regulate future facilities in its unincorporated areas. The proposed regulations, which are designed to be preventative rather than reactive, address critical aspects such as water usage, designated operational zones, and the implementation of closed-loop cooling systems. County leaders, including Board of Supervisors Chair Jon Green, have expressed concerns about the heat generation and overall environmental impact of data centers.
The ordinance also delves into considerations for grid reliability and energy efficiency, with county planner Joe Wilensky suggesting the potential for renewable power supply as part of community benefit agreements. Drawing parallels with frameworks in Linn County and Palo, Johnson County supervisors aim to create significant regulatory barriers to discourage data center development, while acknowledging that an outright ban may not be legally feasible.
During a public meeting, residents voiced concerns regarding the potential strain of hyperscale data centers on natural resources and adjacent properties, urging thorough due diligence. Johnson County leaders are committed to collaborating with smaller municipalities to avoid scenarios like the one in Linn County, where Google reportedly worked with the city of Palo to bypass county regulations.