Waterloo leaders vote to block data centers for three months
The Waterloo City Council has approved a three-month moratorium on data center developments to allow time for proper regulation. This decision comes as residents expressed concerns about a prior agreement and following a significant deal to restart a nuclear plant to power a proposed data center near Cedar Rapids, involving Google Energy.
The Waterloo City Council has approved a three-month moratorium on data center developments following a public outcry and a separate announcement regarding a large-scale power deal for another proposed data center in Iowa. The council's decision came shortly after the U.S. Department of Energy offered NextEra Energy a nearly $2 billion loan to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center in rural Linn County, near Palo, with Google Energy slated to purchase most of the power for a nearby data center.
Council members David Morrow and Steve Schmitt emphasized that the temporary halt will allow city leaders to establish appropriate regulations for future data center projects. Residents had advocated for such a measure since discovering an initial agreement approved last December between Waterloo and an unnamed data center developer for a 12-acre industrial site, which included tax breaks and a symbolic land transfer. The council also plans to vote on a six-month pause for hyperscale projects at a subsequent meeting. The article notes that Dubuque is also considering a data center moratorium.