(KIWA Staff Photo)
Woodbury County, Iowa (RI) — Woodbury County leaders are working to impose a moratorium on data centers in unincorporated areas until they can draft regulations.
The issue emerged after the town of Salix voluntarily annexed 900 acres of farmland in April. Last week, MidAmerican Energy confirmed the site is being considered for a data center.
At Tuesday’s meeting, resident Janet Yanak urged the county board to pass the moratorium, even though the county does not have jurisidiction over the potential project.
Other neighbors of the project testified that they weren’t notified of the annexation, and Supervisor Mark Nelson responded.
Supervisors plan to put the moratorium on next week’s agenda and ask the county attorney to look into whether Salix leaders correctly followed state law. The board supports a one-year moratorium on data centers to gather public input on an ordinance to regulate them.
Meanwhile, Salix would still need to rezone the property for the project to move forward.
