A Google data center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. | chaddavis.photography from United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
Linn County, Iowa officials approved a new ordinance designed to “shield residents and natural resources from the negative impacts of hyperscale data center development,” reports Anika Jane Beamer in Inside Climate News.
According to Beamer, “The new ordinance requires data center developers to conduct a comprehensive water study as part of their zoning application and to enter into a water-use agreement with the county before construction. It also places limits on noise and light pollution, introduces mandatory setbacks of 1,000 feet from residentially zoned property, and requires developers to compensate the county for damage to roads or infrastructure during construction and to contribute to a community betterment fund.”…