Sioux County passes one-year moratorium on data center construction

The Sioux County Board of Supervisors in Orange City, Iowa, unanimously enacted a one-year moratorium on the construction of data centers and industrial battery storage facilities in unincorporated areas. The decision, made on Tuesday, aims to provide the county with sufficient time to draft a comprehensive ordinance specifically addressing data centers and their potential impacts.

County zoning director Shane Walter indicated that the board's proactive stance was prompted by increasing data center development in the region, citing a recently approved facility in neighboring Woodbury County. Supervisors, including Carl Vande Weerd, expressed significant concerns regarding the environmental implications of data centers, particularly water contamination, and the immense power and water consumption that could strain county resources. Walter highlighted that while data centers offer initial job creation and investment, their long-term operational employment is minimal.

County Attorney Tom Kunstle clarified that the moratorium's jurisdiction applies only to unincorporated Sioux County, acknowledging that facilities could still be developed within city limits, similar to how Google bypassed Linn County regulations by moving its project to land annexed by the city of Palo. Zoning Director Walter plans to present a draft ordinance within the year, which would primarily focus on limiting data center placement to protect farmland and include additional environmental criteria, drawing parallels to existing ordinances for solar and wind projects.