Sioux County data center ordinance moves to final step
The Sioux County Board of Supervisors approved the second of three readings for a proposed data center ordinance in a 4-1 vote, sending it to a final reading scheduled for Oct. 27. The ordinance would impose requirements for electricity and water usage, infrastructure costs, monitoring and compliance, while lifting the county's existing moratorium if adopted.
The Sioux County Board of Supervisors in Orange City advanced a proposed data center ordinance with a 4-1 vote, with Supervisors John Degen, Craig Hoftyzer, Jerry Muilenburg and Carl Vande Weerd supporting it and Supervisor Dan Altena opposing it. The measure is scheduled for a final reading Oct. 27 and would take effect upon publication if approved.
Zoning Director Shane Walter said the ordinance is intended to address data centers as a distinct industrial use and protect nearby residents and natural resources. It would require developers to address electricity and water usage, pay for substation infrastructure improvements, demonstrate adequate power capacity and comply with periodic independent studies. The county could shut down a noncompliant facility, and adoption would lift the existing data center moratorium.
The only potential site identified so far is the former Bison Renewable Energy plant property near Perkins Corner, southwest of Hull. Residents raised concerns about oversight, penalties, sound and resource use, while North West Rural Electric Cooperative General Manager Lyle Korver discussed the possible effects of a proposed 25-megawatt facility on electricity infrastructure and rates.