Google moving ahead on proposed Palo data center, sets public meeting to discuss plan
Google is advancing plans for a proposed 545-acre data center campus near Palo, Iowa, and will hold a public meeting on Oct. 22 to discuss the project and gather community feedback. The company plans to seek voluntary annexation into Palo after previously negotiating with Linn County, drawing criticism from a county supervisor who said the move could bypass stricter county data center rules.
Google is moving forward with a proposed 545-acre data center campus near Palo, Iowa, and has scheduled an Oct. 22 public meeting at the Palo Community Center. Company officials said the meeting will address residents’ questions and gather input on potential investments in sustainability, workforce development and education. Google has not disclosed the project’s capital cost, energy demand or construction schedule, but said it could employ up to 1,200 construction workers and create hundreds of permanent jobs.
Google initially negotiated with Linn County but now plans to pursue voluntary annexation of the site into Palo, where the company expects to file an application in the coming weeks. Linn County Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt criticized the shift as an effort to avoid the county’s newly adopted data center zoning ordinance, while Google executives said Palo offered a jurisdiction with a shared vision and appropriate planning resources. The project would use evaporative cooling, rely on a proposed 25-year power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy tied to the possible restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center, and remain subject to regulatory and zoning approvals.