Jefferson County News: Data Center Hearing, New Police Chief & Landmark Grants
Jefferson County, Iowa, is holding a public hearing on its proposed data center ordinance, which has been updated to include lower power thresholds and cryptocurrency mining regulations. Residents are advocating for a temporary moratorium on data center development and expressing concerns about developer-funded environmental studies, though supervisors question the legality of a moratorium.
Jefferson County, Iowa, is preparing for a public hearing on its proposed data center ordinance, scheduled for Monday, August 10th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Jefferson County Courthouse. The county supervisors recently revised the ordinance, lowering the continuous power use threshold from 20 megawatts to 5 megawatts and adding cryptocurrency mining to the list of regulated activities.
Following weeks of public input, several residents commended these changes but continued to push for the adoption of a temporary moratorium before the ordinance is finalized. Supervisors have argued that such a moratorium would not be legal. Community members also voiced concerns regarding environmental studies funded by developers. In separate local news, Joel Smith was officially sworn in as Fairfield's new police chief, and two Southeast Iowa landmarks received Iowa Rural Heritage Revitalization Grants.