Google’s Sneaky Trick to Sidestep an Iowa County’s Data Center Zoning Rules

Google is seeking to bypass data center zoning rules recently adopted by Linn County, Iowa, by annexing the land for its proposed campus into the city of Palo, which is two miles away. This would free Google from the water-use and economic agreements that Linn County developed for unincorporated areas with input from the company's representatives. The Linn County Board of Supervisors says this workaround is "fundamentally wrong" and that Google is trying to find a local government that will ask for less.