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Last Update: 11/01/2026 at 11:33 PM EST
Missouri And Iowa Data Center Restrictions
Coverage from Washington Post, NDSU News, and others
Local governments in Missouri and Iowa are tightening or pausing data center development through zoning changes, moratoriums, and bans.
The most active pattern is precautionary local regulation driven by concerns about water use, utility strain, land use, and neighborhood impacts, alongside pushback from developers and business groups.
Looking Back
63 Day Timeline
May 19
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Jul 20
History
07/02/2026
The story has broadened from a handful of local moratorium debates into a more developed Missouri-Iowa regulatory push, anchored by St. Charles’ outright ban and St. Louis’ move toward a detailed siting framework. The new version also makes the conflict more concrete by adding named developers, utilities, and business groups pushing back against tighter local control.
06/29/2026
The story has sharpened from broad local resistance into more specific procedural moves: Dubuque County has formally imposed a one-year moratorium, Lee County is actively weighing its own pause and zoning rules, and St. Louis has delayed action while reconsidering thresholds and compliance timelines. The update also adds a new definitional fight over whether smaller bitcoin mining operations should be covered.
All Articles79 articles
Additional
A North Dakota coalition developed a model ordinance for data center siting after months of study, emphasizing electricity, water, environmental, and safety evaluations.
6/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Applied Digital’s Ellendale, North Dakota project is cited alongside Williston to show how community outreach and power planning affect data-center disputes.
7/20/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Southcentral Minnesota Clean Energy Council holds a July 25 community event in Mankato, Minnesota to discuss data-center impacts during a year-long city moratorium.
7/20/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Salix, Iowa residents protested a proposed 900-acre data center on July 18, ahead of a City Council vote on a moratorium for new data centers.
7/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement says statewide residents are pushing for county moratoriums on new data centers due to water, energy, farmland, and subsidy impacts.
7/11/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
Iowa Colony City Council will consider a July 20 resolution opposing data centers after Brazoria County adopted strict conditional development requirements addressing water, electricity, and community impacts.
7/18/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
Dubuque County, Iowa held a first public town hall on a data-center ordinance in Peosta after a 12-month development halt, amid concerns about water quality and utilities.
6/24/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
In Walford, Iowa, city leaders refused a proposed data-center annexation in April while Linn County added impact-study requirements and approved an 18-month moratorium.
7/3/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Land Use Conflicts
Dubuque County, Iowa officials prepared a 120-day moratorium on data center development after zoning meetings and petition-driven opposition near Dubuque Regional Airport.
5/22/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Dubuque County supervisors in Iowa approved a 12-month moratorium on data center development applications and approvals after resident opposition during a special meeting Tuesday.
5/27/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • NIMBY Opposition
A North Dakota legislative committee met in Bismarck on data centers and artificial intelligence, hearing residents request stronger zoning input and moratorium options amid electricity demand concerns.
7/15/2026 • Community & Local Opposition • Public Engagement
Superior, Wisconsin approved a one-year data center moratorium in 2024 while city officials study zoning and utility impacts after local concerns about health, water, and energy use.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Karis contacted the City of Dubuque in preparation for a possible data center near Dubuque Regional Airport, but no application filed and county moratorium delays City Council action.
7/10/2026 • Water & Cooling • Water Supply & Access
Durham County commissioners will vote after a public hearing on amending North Carolina Unified Development Ordinance rules to extend a data center moratorium to 12 months.
6/22/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Linn County, Iowa supervisors voted 2-1 to impose an 18-month moratorium on new data center development in unincorporated areas while newly adopted zoning water rules are evaluated.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Oliver County commissioners considered rezoning for Applied Digital's third North Dakota data center near Hanover and Center after signing a July 10 road-use agreement.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
North Dakota cities and counties, with TechND and data-center industry input, developed a model ordinance in response to community concerns about data-center power, water, and environmental impacts.
6/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
St. Louis advanced Board Bill 49 regulating large data centers, including siting distance, cool or green roofs, and 10-year renewable power, amid NAACP opposition and ongoing appeals of a Midtown 120-megawatt project.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Oliver County Commission approved Applied Digital’s data center building permit in central North Dakota, imposing conditions on water hauling, septic disposal, noise limits, traffic access, and a pending reclamation-bond solution.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
St. Charles County Council introduced a six-month moratorium on large-scale data centers in Missouri while health and infrastructure impact studies are conducted.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Brunswick Maine approved a 180-day moratorium on 1 MW-plus data center permitting after Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a statewide restriction bill.
6/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Imperial County supervisors imposed a 45-day urgency ordinance moratorium on data center projects after community opposition and pending an ad hoc committee report.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Linn County, Iowa Board approves an 18-month moratorium on EU-3 rezoning applications for large-scale data centers in unincorporated areas, effective immediately.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Linn County, Iowa, approved a moratorium effective immediately through January 1, 2028 on EU-3 large-scale data center rezoning applications in unincorporated areas.
7/1/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Miriam Keller and the St. Louis Planning Commission advanced stricter city data center regulations on Wednesday, including lower megawatt thresholds and a 50 percent renewable requirement at operation.
6/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
St. Louis aldermen advanced amendments to Board Bill 49 for data center zoning after contentious debate over renewable-energy waivers and land-use exemptions.
7/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Winnebago County, Wisconsin, proposed a 12-month moratorium on hyperscale AI data center permitting after concerns about power demand, water use, and local infrastructure strain.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
July 29 Board of Adjustment appeals will review conditional approval for a 120-megawatt data center planned for the former Famous-Barr warehouse in Midtown St. Louis.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
The Advisory Committee on Data Centers met in Dane County, Wisconsin on June 9, 2026 to consider a moratorium on zoning permit applications for data center siting.
6/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
DeKalb County commissioners extended a data center application moratorium by 100 days through end-of-September after resident requests for additional health, environmental, and water studies.
6/10/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Lee County supervisors in Iowa discussed seeking legal counsel for a possible six-month moratorium on new data center construction during a Tuesday work session.
6/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Boone County commissioners in Indiana approved a one-year moratorium on new unincorporated data center development on June 15, 2026 to reassess land use and infrastructure impacts.
6/15/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Desert Hot Springs City Council holds a public hearing on extending a moratorium on data center licensing, permitting, and entitlements in California.
7/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
St. Louis City approved a conditional use permit for a data center at The Armory on April 21, 2026 after rejecting a data center moratorium and advancing zoning regulations in 2025-2026.
6/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
North Mankato, Minnesota, City Council will consider a 12-month moratorium on new data centers after months of community debate over water and energy impacts.
7/5/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Mankato City Council approved a one-year moratorium on data centers and high-impact utility consumers on July 13 while staff study local zoning, water, and health impacts.
7/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
St. Louis aldermen advanced amended data-center zoning rules on July committee action Tuesday, with added water, energy, and noise conditions prompting developer and environmental group disputes.
7/7/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
St. Louis Planning Commission delayed a data center zoning rules vote in Midtown, Missouri, after public comment and proposed changes to megawatt thresholds and renewable energy timelines.
5/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
St. Charles, Missouri city council voted 7-1 on Aug. 14 to make a data center moratorium permanent by disallowing data centers under city zoning.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
St. Louis Planning Commission sent finalized data-center zoning rules to the Board of Aldermen after public comment and amendments addressing siting, size limits, and renewable energy requirements.
6/11/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Dubuque, Iowa scheduled two July public input meetings and a resident survey to help shape a future data center ordinance.
7/2/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Jackson, Mississippi held a public forum on a northwest Jackson data-center rezoning request, with Saxum rescheduling a Planning Board hearing for June 24.
6/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Jackson, Mississippi held a public hearing on data center development while drafting regulations that would block approvals until rules are finalized, after a rezoning request in northwest Jackson.
6/23/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Marshalltown, Iowa, Planning and Zoning Commission scheduled work sessions, a community roundtable, and public hearings to develop data-center zoning rules after a four-month moratorium.
7/18/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Independence, Missouri approved a 180-day moratorium on new data centers and BESS projects after resident pressure, excluding ongoing Nebius and Patmos applications.
7/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
St. Charles, Missouri city council approved a 7-1 ordinance amendment on May 19 banning data center proposals.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
St. Charles city council voted 7-1 to permanently ban new data center construction on Tuesday night using zoning-based permitting and conditional use prohibitions.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
A Las Vegas developer seeks final city approval for a 120 MW Midtown St. Louis data center after conditional use permitting and resident concerns over water, air, noise, and power grid impacts.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Brunswick and Scarborough, Maine approved 180-day moratoriums on data center construction as councils evaluate ordinance changes and residents raise water and electricity concerns.
6/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Plymouth County supervisors approved a one-year revocable moratorium on data center and industrial battery storage construction in Iowa on Tuesday, citing rulemaking needs for water, power, and noise.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Mayor Jill Shudak sought a up to one-year moratorium on new data center projects in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to review infrastructure and ordinances amid water and power concerns.
6/19/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Sioux County Board of Supervisors planned an informational session on a Hull, Iowa data center proposal after a one-year moratorium on new data centers.
6/28/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
PathOne Data Centers and Sunstone Investments appeared before Sioux County supervisors in Iowa in response to a new data center moratorium after stating an end user was secured before the pause.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Seminole County commissioners discussed a potential data center moratorium in Florida, citing a county code review and new July 1 authority for regulating large load customers.
6/25/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
St. Charles County Council in Missouri introduced a six-month moratorium on large-scale data center proposals and expansions to conduct local impact studies.
6/30/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Woodbury County, Iowa, plans a one-year moratorium for unincorporated-area data center projects after resident opposition to a MidAmerican Energy site considered for development near Salix.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Dane County Executive Melissa Agard signed an 18-month moratorium on hyperscale data centers in Wisconsin after unanimous county board approval.
6/9/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Scott Nelson criticized Dubuque County's one-year data center development moratorium as legally weak after supervisors voted to pause projects while drafting an ordinance.
6/24/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Dubuque County considers data center rules in 2024 as a 420-acre site near Dubuque Regional Airport faces airport hazard-zone zoning requirements.
7/12/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Dubuque County, Iowa approved a 12-month data center moratorium on Tuesday to draft zoning rules amid resident concerns and city water-connection review requirements.
5/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O'Donnell announced a third data center planned for 1515 33rd Ave. SW, following Linn County large-data-center moratorium actions.
7/8/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Dubuque County supervisors agreed to seek county attorney permission to hire a consultant to explore a data center ban while the zoning ordinance moves forward, after airport and economic impact presentations.
7/14/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Brown County, Wisconsin committee members on June 2 declined a proposed countywide moratorium on data centers, citing lack of zoning authority over independent municipal rules.
6/3/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Woodbury County, Iowa supervisors planned a one-year data center moratorium after Salix annexed farmland, while MidAmerican Energy confirmed a potential site under consideration within Salix limits.
6/17/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Ida County Board of Supervisors voted in late June to impose an indefinite moratorium on new data center development in Iowa.
7/13/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Local Approvals & Hearings
Saxum Investment Group LLC asked Jackson Planning Board to postpone a rezoning vote for about 190 acres on Forest Avenue until June 24.
5/26/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Dubuque County Zoning Commission recommended a moratorium on new data-center development to county supervisors after large resident turnout and opposition at a Tuesday meeting.
5/20/2026 • Permitting & Regulation • Permitting & Regulation: Zoning & Land Use
Sequitor Edge plans a 15-MW data center at Black Hills Industrial Center in Rapid City while South Dakota drought and heat increase summer power load demands.
7/2/2026 • Power Procurement & Grid • Load Growth & Capacity
Jason White and Dubuque County Board of Supervisors candidates discussed July 13, 2026 data center economic forecasts for Dubuque County, Iowa.
7/17/2026 • Market Demand & Investment • Project Valuation & Returns
In Bismarck, North Dakota lawmakers and Tony Clark discussed 2030 electricity-use projections for AI data centers and concerns about grid capacity and cost allocation.
7/15/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Barnes County, North Dakota imposed a six-month moratorium on new data centers due to power and transparency concerns raised by Valley City officials.
5/26/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Barnes County commissioners in North Dakota imposed a six-month moratorium on new data centers as officials cited electric transmission and generation constraints and unresolved transparency and siting coordination issues.
5/27/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Jordan Lamb, CEO of Oahe Electric Cooperative, argues South Dakota should enable data-center growth by aligning permitting and grid upgrades to planned load growth.
6/19/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Oppidan plans a 10-megawatt Cedar Rapids data center at 1515 33rd Ave. SW, using closed-loop cooling and Alliant Energy power, with construction starting in late fall or early spring.
7/10/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • Construction & Buildout
A former Marshall County development director urges Marshalltown, Iowa to delay a two-year data center moratorium and instead coordinate with Alliant Energy and Marshalltown Water Works.
6/22/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Policy & Utility Planning: Utility Resource Planning
Jackson, Mississippi officials used open-records documents to outline a Lake Hico hyperscale data center recruitment plan involving Entergy coordination and local ordinance work.
7/17/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • Infrastructure & Site Development: Land Acquisition & Site Selection
Karis sought hundreds of acres near Dubuque Regional Airport in Dubuque County, Iowa, with May 15 emails to zoning administrator Ben Kober amid local moratorium debate.
6/26/2026 • Infrastructure & Site Development • Infrastructure & Site Development: Land Acquisition & Site Selection
North Dakota lawmakers announced an interim Artificial Intelligence and Data Center Committee to study data center water and electricity impacts and AI regulation ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
6/25/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • Infrastructure Siting Policy
Warrey will lead a North Dakota interim committee studying data centers, water and electricity impacts, and AI regulation ahead of the January 2027 session.
6/26/2026 • Policy & Utility Planning • State Energy Policy