Data center restrictions tracker · Iowa

Linn County, Iowa: data center moratorium (2026)

Data snapshot 2026-08-15 · part of Pricing the Fear of Data Centers

Linn County, Iowa, adopted a data-center moratorium on July 1, 2026. Its status in this snapshot is in force.

Linn County, Iowa, adopted a data-center zoning exclusion on March 1, 2026. Its status in this snapshot is enacted.

The records read: "Data-center moratorium running to a set end date, adopted 2026-07-01, active per tracker (Moratorium Nation)." "Linn County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved one of the most comprehensive local data center zoning ordinances in the country on Feb. 18, 2026, in response to Google's proposed $7 billion, 565MW data center on 545 acres. The… (datacentertracker.org)."

Details

ActionClassStatusDateMW thresholdScopeSource
Moratoriumrestrictionin forceJuly 1, 2026county-wideMoratorium Nation (ALEA Institute)
Zoning exclusionrestrictionenactedMarch 1, 2026county-widedatacentertracker.org

Jurisdiction type: county. County: Linn County. Dataset: moratorium nation. Snapshot August 15, 2026; documented actions, not a census.

Elsewhere in Linn County

Iowa context

Iowa has 35 documented local actions across 32 jurisdictions in this snapshot. There is no statewide restriction, incentive rollback, or large-load tariff on record for Iowa in this snapshot.

A town that says no to a data center gives up local tax revenue, not jobs: one large campus pays $2M to $90M a year depending on the tax regime, against roughly 50 permanent jobs. The parent piece prices it and lists the conditions that beat a ban.

Sources

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