Iowa Candidate Calls for Moratorium on New Data Center Approvals
Berleen Wobeter, a Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 53, supports a statewide moratorium on new data center approvals until Iowa adopts standards for construction, cooling, power arrangements and cost protections. She organized a public forum in Tama County featuring Doug Sevey, CEO of Enseva Data Center, and called for independent research and greater local input.
Berleen Wobeter, a Tama County farmer and Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 53, argues that rural Iowans should have more influence over the state’s technology policy. She supports a statewide moratorium on new data center approvals until Iowa establishes standards addressing water use, electricity demand, closed-loop cooling, infrastructure costs and environmental impacts.
Wobeter organized a Tama County forum featuring Doug Sevey, CEO of Enseva Data Center, to help residents understand data center development. She also called for independent research into the industry’s economic, health and infrastructure effects, while advocating for responsible artificial intelligence policies in schools, stronger student privacy protections and reliable broadband for rural communities.