Linn County will not rezone district near nuclear plant for data centers
The Linn County Board of Supervisors has decided against rezoning a district near the Duane Arnold Energy Center to allow large-scale data centers. This decision follows significant public opposition concerning water, power, land-use, and environmental impacts, and comes during an active 18-month data center moratorium.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors in Iowa has decided not to proceed with changes to its EU-2 zoning district that would have permitted large-scale data centers to be built near nuclear energy facilities. This announcement comes after an existing 18-month moratorium on data center development, enacted on July 1, and follows clear opposition from local residents.
The proposed zoning amendments were intended to facilitate data center interest in the potential restart of the Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo. However, residents voiced numerous concerns during a July 20 meeting with the county Planning & Zoning Commission, citing potential negative impacts related to water consumption, power grid strain, land-use, and the environment.
Supervisor Brandy Meisheid confirmed that the Board's decision was a direct response to the lack of broad public support for allowing data centers as a permitted use within the EU-2 district. She noted that while data centers could play a role in the energy center's restart, community agreement was paramount.
The Board plans to use the ongoing moratorium period to develop comprehensive policies that will ensure future development decisions are well-informed and reflective of community needs.