(Sioux County Courthouse -- KIWA Staff Photo)Orange City, Iowa (Sioux County Radio) — Sioux County residents continue to weigh the potential impacts of a proposed data center near Hull as a one-year moratorium on new data centers remains in effect in unincorporated areas of the county.
PathOne invited residents to a series of open houses this week during Monday’s informational meeting at the Sioux County Courthouse.
Near the end of that meeting, PathOne representative Gyles Uhlenhopp said the company wanted to accommodate people who couldn’t attend.
Earlier in the presentation, Uhlenhopp described the scheduled events as an open house and invited residents to visit the property. He said staked areas at the site would give visitors a realistic perspective of the potential building’s size.
However, at the first scheduled open house Wednesday, no PathOne representatives were present. Representatives from H&D Properties, which owns the property, were there to speak with visitors.
Nate Hotzler, speaking on behalf of H&D Properties, said the ongoing moratorium provides a valuable window to establish proper safeguards rather than rushing development.
Power, Noise, and Water Management
PathOne says its proposal centers are on a smaller operational footprint than large-scale data centers operated by major tech companies. The site currently has electrical infrastructure supplying 10 to 14 megawatts, requiring only minor upgrades.
To keep facilities manageable, PathOne has suggested county officials adopt a 25-megawatt cap on data center developments.
To reduce water consumption, the facility intends to run a closed-loop cooling system, similar to a vehicle radiator, that continuously recycles water.
Tax Contributions and Community Partnerships
Hotzler said PathOne is not seeking public subsidies or tax breaks.
He also clarified that while companies regularly reach out to PathOne, no end users are currently lined up.
Residents are encouraged to participate in upcoming community advisory council sessions and contact county supervisors as potential regulations are developed.
PathOne has not responded to questions about why their company representatives were absent.
Two additional open houses remain scheduled at the site:
- Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m.
- Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
