Google Hosts Community Meeting on Proposed Data Center in Palo
Google held a community meeting about its proposed six-building data center campus in Palo, Iowa. Residents raised concerns about land, water use, noise and impacts on the local power grid, while Google said it would pay for required utility upgrades and hopes to begin construction in early 2026 if approved.
Google hosted a public meeting in Palo to explain plans for a data center campus near the intersection of Po Marsh and Comp roads. The proposal includes six one-story data center buildings across about 650 acres, with another 100 acres reserved for buffers, trees and landscaping. Google representatives said the company would pay full property taxes rather than use a tax increment financing arrangement.
The project remains in the planning stage and has drawn controversy over potential effects on land and water resources. During the question-and-answer session, residents and project representatives discussed water and wastewater infrastructure, noise and local grid capacity. Google said it would cover the costs of domestic water, wastewater and other utility upgrades. If the Palo City Council approves the project, Google hopes to start construction in early 2026 and complete the facility by fall 2031, with up to 2,500 construction workers involved over the course of development.