Linn County considers different zoning path for data centers tied to nuclear plants

Linn County, Iowa, is evaluating a proposal to establish a distinct zoning pathway for data centers that would be accessory to nuclear power facilities, specifically aimed at supporting the potential restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear plant. This consideration arises during an existing 18-month moratorium on data center development, which was implemented to allow leaders to study the impacts of data centers on water use, power demand, and long-term effects. The county's Planning and Zoning Commission was tasked with exploring whether data centers linked to nuclear power should be handled differently, given their need for reliable, round-the-clock power and their potential to make nuclear plant restarts financially viable through long-term agreements.

During public comment, several residents expressed strong opposition to creating such an exception. They argued that if 18 months were deemed necessary to study the impact of large-scale data centers under EU-3 zoning, opening the door to them in the EU-2 district would constitute a "loophole" and undermine the purpose of the moratorium. One commenter asserted that a data center serving a nuclear plant is merely a customer, not an accessory use, and the proposal "makes absolutely no sense."

The county government stated that it is still in the information-gathering phase and intends to solicit more public input before making a decision on whether to amend the county's zoning code to allow such an exception.