Linn County board to discuss possible data center moratorium
The Linn County Board of Supervisors is set to discuss a potential moratorium on large-scale data center development in rural, unincorporated areas of the county. If approved, the measure would run through January 1, 2028, and allow time for evaluation among various stakeholders. The proposal comes in response to increased interest in data center development within the county.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors in Iowa is preparing to discuss a proposed moratorium on large-scale data center development in the county's rural, unincorporated areas. The three-member board, including Supervisors Sami Scheetz, Kirsten Running-Marquardt, and Brandy Meisheid, will hold a meeting on Wednesday, February 7, at the Jean Oxley Public Services Center in Cedar Rapids to deliberate the measure.
Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt indicated that the moratorium stems from a surge in interest from data center developers and related land sales companies seeking to establish projects in rural Linn County. She emphasized the need to "put a pause on things" due to the rapid pace and significant scale of these developments. If enacted, the moratorium would be effective through 2027, though its duration could be adjusted by the supervisors. The resolution aims to facilitate a "meaningful evaluation" of data center development with input from municipalities, utility providers, and regional planning organizations.
Notably, the proposed moratorium would only apply to areas outside established city limits within Linn County. This means it would not impact two existing data center campuses currently under construction in southwest Cedar Rapids. The discussion follows a previous Linn County Board of Supervisors hearing held on February 4 at the Palo Community Center, which focused on the county’s data center zoning code.