Iowa local moratoria

Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for Iowa, current through September 23, 2026.

57 instruments — 52 in force, 2 pending, 3 past.

State policy is tracked separately: 12 actions (12 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.

Detailed entries

Adair County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-18, per signed Adair County Board of Supervisors minutes: Resolution #2026-26 adopted by unanimous 5-0 roll call (Hoadley, Baier, Wedemeyer, Christoffersen, Walker all aye).
• Normalized date: 2026-03-18 (exact)
• Duration: Until the Board passes a resolution imposing a permanent moratorium on the construction of data centers, high-density computing facilities and battery storage facilities, or rescinds the temporary moratorium; no calendar end date (resolution text as read into the record and quoted by the Atlantic News-Telegraph).
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-adair-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution #2026-26, "Resolution to Establish a Temporary Moratorium on the Construction of Data Centers, High-Density Computing Facilities, and Battery Storage Facilities in the Unincorporated Areas of Adair County, Iowa," adopted March 18, 2026 by unanimous 5-0 roll call.
• What prompted it: Proposed 765 kV MISO transmission line, land negotiations in the Hebron area, and concern that data centers require large amounts of electricity and water.
• Affected projects: Applied Digital interest in a 200 MW data center near Adair reported in Clarke County coverage; no Adair County project approval record captured.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. On Sept. 9, 2026 the Board repealed and rescinded Resolution No. 2026-45 (the Adair County Data Center Regulatory Ordinance) because the required public hearing had not yet been held; that did not affect the Resolution #2026-26 moratorium. A public hearing on the data center regulatory ordinance was set for 9:15 a.m. on 2026-09-23; its outcome was not yet reported at research time. The Board also set a $500 data center permit fee in August 2026.
• Outcome: Supervisors continued reviewing a draft data center ordinance after adoption of the moratorium. The draft would require data-center equipment to be housed in permanent structures on foundations, not shipping containers or similar temporary structures (March 25, 2026 Western Iowa Today: "No action was taken on the ordinance today" — confirms ordinance was still in draft a week after the moratorium passed).

Audubon County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-08-12 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 2025-46 imposing a temporary moratorium on utility-scale BESS until January 1, 2026 (after public hearing); extended 2026-05-05 by Resolution 2026-25 until May 1, 2027.
• Normalized date: 2025-08-12 (exact)
• Duration: Originally until January 1, 2026; extended until May 1, 2027 or passage of a permanent utility-scale BESS development ordinance
• Current end date: 2027-05-01
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-audubon-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution 2025-46 (2025-08-12); extended by Resolution 2026-25 (2026-05-05)
• What prompted it: County has no specific ordinance for utility-scale BESS; time needed to coordinate with agencies and create ordinances.
• Affected projects: One company considering a BESS in the county reportedly supported the pause.
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23 through 2027-05-01 or earlier passage of a BESS ordinance.
• Outcome: —

Audubon County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-05 -- Board of Supervisors unanimous vote adopting Resolution 2026-27, after a public hearing, per official minutes.
• Normalized date: 2026-05-05 (exact)
• Duration: Through May 1, 2027, or until passage of a permanent data center development ordinance, whichever occurs first
• Current end date: 2027-05-01
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-audubon-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-27, immediately stopping the acceptance or processing of applications to construct commercial data centers, including commercial cryptocurrency mining operations
• What prompted it: Pause pending adoption of a permanent data center development ordinance
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs until 2027-05-01 or earlier passage of a permanent data center development ordinance. No permanent data center ordinance or rescission was found in county minutes or regional coverage through September 2026.
• Outcome: —

Boone County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-09 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 26-36, 'A Resolution Adopting a One-Year Moratorium on the Establishment, Construction, or Permitting of New Data Centers in Boone County, Iowa' (Sept. 9 agenda item; KCCI reports adoption Wednesday morning, Sept. 9). Board had voted Sept. 2 to move forward with a one-year moratorium after a public petition.
• Normalized date: 2026-09-09 (exact)
• Duration: One year (up to one year), to allow study and adoption of a comprehensive data center zoning ordinance
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-boone-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 26-36 (Boone County Board of Supervisors)
• What prompted it: Resident petition signed by hundreds over a rumored hyperscale data center on agricultural land; county lacks data center zoning definitions.
• Affected projects: Lightedge colocation facility (10 acres, Boone Business Park) is inside the City of Boone and outside the moratorium's reach.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium adopted 2026-09-09 for unincorporated Boone County. It does not apply inside city limits, where a Lightedge colocation facility is proposed for the Boone Business Park.
• Outcome: Planning and Zoning Commission to prepare a data center presentation and inform a comprehensive data center zoning ordinance.

Buchanan County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: Approximately January 2026 (original adoption; exact day not found)
• Normalized date: 2026-01 (month_only)
• Duration: Extended May 18, 2026 through December 31, 2027
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-buchanan-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolutions 26-62 (data mining), 26-63 (utility-scale battery storage), 26-64 (data storage centers), extending prior 2026 moratoria
• What prompted it: Planning and Zoning Commission needs time to draft ordinances covering infrastructure, natural resources and property rights
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active/extended as of 2026-09-23 (through Dec. 31, 2027) for all three categories.
• Outcome: Planning and Zoning Commission continuing to draft ordinances; moratoria may end earlier if ordinances are completed

Cedar County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-26 -- Board of Supervisors unanimously moved to approve and authorize the chair to sign a six-month data center moratorium, per official minutes; the zoning director and county attorney were to draft the instrument, effective upon signature. A signed moratorium instrument was not located, so the effective date is [VERIFY].
• Normalized date: 2026-05-26 (unverified)
• Duration: Six months, effective upon signature (signed instrument not located to confirm exact start/end dates)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-cedar-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Supervisors motion authorizing the chair to sign a six-month data center moratorium so the county could complete a permanent ordinance; signed instrument and resolution number not located in this pass
• What prompted it: County working toward a permanent data center ordinance
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Status uncertain as of 2026-09-23. The Board approved the six-month moratorium and authorized the chair to sign it on 2026-05-26 (official minutes), effective upon signature; if signed that day it would run to about 2026-11-22. No signed instrument, resolution number or later Board action on it appears in Board minutes from June 2 through Sept. 15, 2026, and the Planning & Zoning Commission was still revising a data center ordinance (draft #5, June 18, 2026). [VERIFY instrument number not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Cherokee County

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2026-03-24 -- Resolution #2026-10 adopted by the Cherokee County Board of Supervisors (roll call: Mullins-aye, Ellis-aye, Bellefy-nay, Skou-aye, Petersen-aye), per official minutes published in the Marcus News.
• Normalized date: 2026-03-24 (exact)
• Duration: Indefinite
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-cherokee-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution #2026-10, "Establishing an Indefinite Moratorium on Battery Storage Projects in Cherokee County, Iowa" (adopted 2026-03-24)
• What prompted it: Supervisors' concerns about lithium-ion battery storage tied to a proposed solar-plus-battery project.
• Affected projects: Smith brothers' proposed 30 MW solar array (with cattle herd).
• Detailed status: Replaced (August 2026): the Board overturned the battery moratorium and replaced it with an ordinance allowing a 30 MW solar array project to proceed.
• Outcome: Replaced by a county ordinance in August 2026.

City of Ames

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-28 -- City Council voted 4-2 for a nine-month pause on new data center projects (postponing the Lightedge airport-land proposal) while it studies zoning, noise, water and utility rules; pause set to last until May 1, 2027.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-28 (exact)
• Duration: About nine months, until May 1, 2027; may be lifted earlier or extended
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-ames-2026
• Legal basis: Ames City Council motion (4-2) of 2026-07-28 setting a nine-month pause/delay; not reported as a formal moratorium ordinance
• What prompted it: Lightedge proposal to lease 10.86 acres of city airport land for a 25 MW colocation facility; staff memo on regulatory options.
• Affected projects: Lightedge 25 MW, 10.86-acre colocation proposal at Ames Municipal Airport (delayed; company now pursuing Boone).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; council appointed a 15-member Data Center Committee on 2026-09-22 to gather information during the pause. Lightedge has since shifted its project to the Boone Business Park. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

City of Asbury

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-14 -- City Council unanimously passed a 180-day moratorium on data centers, effective immediately (KCRG; KWWL).
• Normalized date: 2026-07-14 (exact)
• Duration: 180 days (six months)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-asbury-2026
• Legal basis: Asbury City Council moratorium action of 2026-07-14 (instrument number not published in coverage)
• What prompted it: Time to study impacts of data centers on land, infrastructure and the environment before a permanent ordinance.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 180-day moratorium from 2026-07-14 (about 2027-01-10).
• Outcome: —

City of Cascade

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-22 -- City Council approved a 12-month moratorium on construction of data centers within city limits (motion Delaney, second Hosch; 4-1, Weber opposed), per the Cascade Pioneer.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-22 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-cascade-2026
• Legal basis: Cascade City Council motion/moratorium of 2026-06-22 (form of instrument not reported)
• What prompted it: Potential data center development (Simple Mining) discussed with the Cascade Economic Development Corp.; residents sought time for ordinances and public input.
• Affected projects: Planned Simple Mining data center in Cascade's industrial park (redacted agreement with Cascade Economic Development Corp.).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per the June 2026 adoption; in July 2026 the council considered forming an advisory committee to draft data center rules.
• Outcome: —

City of Dubuque

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-21 -- City Council unanimously adopted a six-month moratorium ordinance on hyperscale data centers at its Monday meeting (after delaying an earlier version to refine thresholds and annexation language).
• Normalized date: 2026-09-21 (exact)
• Duration: Six months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-dubuque-2026
• Legal basis: City of Dubuque temporary moratorium ordinance on hyperscale data centers (ordinance number not published in coverage); hyperscale = >100,000 sq ft, >75 MW, >=50 gpm cooling/operational water, or >=5,000 servers
• What prompted it: Evaluate utility infrastructure and whether/how land proposed for hyperscale data centers could be annexed or served by public utilities; resident survey opposition.
• Affected projects: None; no annexation petition, site plan or utility request had been presented.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; six-month hold on hyperscale data center applications and utility requests adopted 2026-09-21 while the City Attorney drafts a long-term ordinance.
• Outcome: —

City of Fairfax

• Type: City
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending -- on 2026-07-14 the City Council voted 3-1 to advance an ordinance imposing a moratorium on high-impact data centers with no end date; Corridor Business Journal reports the moratorium was not formally approved and further procedural steps (readings, attorney review, mayoral signature) remain.
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: No end date: remains in effect unless modified or repealed by a subsequent ordinance
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-fairfax-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed ordinance 'Imposing a Moratorium on High-Impact Data Centers and Amending the City Zoning Code to Establish Prohibited Use Classification' (Fairfax, Linn County)
• What prompted it: Concerns over electrical demand, water, local infrastructure and job displacement from large AI data centers near the Cedar Rapids data center cluster.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23: advanced 3-1 on 2026-07-14; no report of final adoption was found. [VERIFY instrument number; adoption date not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

City of Fairfield

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-24 -- City Council voted 6-0 to pass a data center moratorium ordinance, waiving second and third readings; effective upon publication (Thursday, Aug. 27).
• Normalized date: 2026-08-24 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from publication, with an optional 6-month extension
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-fairfield-2026
• Legal basis: City of Fairfield data center moratorium ordinance (ordinance number not published in coverage), recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission after an Aug. 17 hearing
• What prompted it: Time to study data center impacts and city codes, following Jefferson County's Aug. 11 moratorium.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium effective on publication (about 2026-08-27).
• Outcome: —

City of Marshalltown

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-24 -- City Council passed Ordinance 15123 (second reading, third reading waived) establishing a temporary data center moratorium; effective upon publication (expected Aug. 26).
• Normalized date: 2026-08-24 (exact)
• Duration: Until November 23, 2026; council may extend once by resolution for up to 60 days
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-marshalltown-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 15123, an ordinance establishing a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing and approval of data center development approvals
• What prompted it: Swarm Systems proposal to buy 21 acres of city land for a data center; need for zoning, environmental and land-use rules.
• Affected projects: Swarm Systems (CEO Amir Atefi) proposed ~150,000 sq ft, $350 million data center on 21 acres of city-owned land in Edgewood Industrial Park; land offer expired in September 2026.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs to 2026-11-23 with a possible one-time 60-day extension. City staff were drafting data center zoning regulations (P&Z review Sept. 17).
• Outcome: —

City of Peosta

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-23 -- City Council adopted Resolution 2026-49, effective immediately.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-23 (exact)
• Duration: 180 days; the city lists December 20, 2026 as the current expiration date, subject to earlier termination, modification, or replacement
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-peosta-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-49, a 180-day moratorium on the construction, establishment, development, expansion, or operation of data centers; during the moratorium the city will not issue listed building, zoning, site-plan, subdivision, utility-connection, occupancy, or other approvals
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; city-listed expiration is December 20, 2026, absent earlier termination, modification, or replacement.
• Outcome: —

City of Waterloo

• Type: City
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-09-08 -- City Council unanimously approved a three-month moratorium on data center development (Radio Iowa, published Sept. 9, reports the vote 'last night').
• Normalized date: 2026-09-08 (exact)
• Duration: Three months (90 days); may be extended up to one year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-city-of-waterloo-2026
• Legal basis: City Council moratorium resolution (single reading; number not published in coverage)
• What prompted it: Public concern over a December 2025 agreement selling 12 acres of city land for $1 to Wahawk Power LLC for an 80,000 sq ft data center with a 10-year 50% tax rebate.
• Affected projects: Wahawk Power LLC proposed 80,000 sq ft data center on 12 acres of city land (vested-rights status undetermined).
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; three-month pause from 2026-09-08. The council plans a separate vote on a six-month pause on hyperscale projects.
• Outcome: —

Clarke County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-06-23
• Normalized date: 2025-06-23 (exact)
• Duration: Until the Board passes a resolution imposing a permanent moratorium, passes an ordinance regulating data centers, or rescinds the temporary moratorium; no calendar end date (Resolution #25-011).
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-clarke-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution #25-011, "Resolution to Establish a Temporary Moratorium on the Construction of Data Centers in the Unincorporated Areas of Clarke County, Iowa," adopted and signed June 23, 2025 (Ayes: Dunbar, Robins, Sorensen; effective upon passage).
• What prompted it: County lacked data center rules and cited safety, property-right, and road impacts.
• Affected projects: None named; reporting connects the action to Applied Digital interest in a 200 MW data center near Adair.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (event-based term). No permanent moratorium, data center ordinance or rescission was found in Clarke County records or coverage; statewide roundups in July 2026 still list Clarke County among counties with a temporary data center moratorium in place.
• Outcome: No replacement ordinance identified in captured records.

Clayton County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-02-25
• Normalized date: 2025-02-25 (exact)
• Duration: Originally through 2025-12-31; extended through 2026-12-31
• Current end date: 2026-12-31
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining, data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-clayton-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution #8-2025; extension motion on 2025-12-02
• What prompted it: Infrastructure burden, nearby property impacts, and need to revise zoning approvals for digital asset mining and data centers.
• Affected projects: Board discussed potential data mining projects with Allamakee-Clayton Electric representatives; no MW listed.
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23. The Dec. 2, 2025 extension runs through 2026-12-31. On July 14, 2026 the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-3 to keep revising both a restrictive and a prohibitive draft data center ordinance rather than forward either to the Board; no replacement ordinance has been adopted and the commission has discussed recommending a further extension if more time is needed.
• Outcome: Moratorium extended while zoning updates proceed; replacement ordinance not identified.

Des Moines County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-19 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 2026-034, effective immediately, per official minutes (motion by Jim Cary, seconded by Tom Broeker, no dissent recorded).
• Normalized date: 2026-05-19 (exact)
• Duration: One year from adoption while the county develops regulations
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-des-moines-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-034, imposing a one-year moratorium on the permitting, construction, or vesting of data centers, with a definition that includes commercial cryptocurrency mining and processing
• What prompted it: County developing data center regulations
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; no rescission or replacement identified in the reviewed sources.
• Outcome: —

Dickinson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-12 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 2026-8 by a 4-1 vote following a public hearing, per official minutes.
• Normalized date: 2026-05-12 (exact)
• Duration: Six months from adoption; may be extended by further board action
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining, solar, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-dickinson-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-8, barring the county from accepting applications or issuing building, use, zoning, or rezoning permits for data centers, bitcoin mining facilities, solar collection and storage facilities, and battery energy storage systems, for six months
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31 if not extended; six months from 2026-05-12 would run to approximately 2026-11-12, and no extension or rescission was identified in the reviewed sources.
• Outcome: —

Dubuque County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-26 -- Board of Supervisors special meeting; per KCRG, Supervisor McDonough moved to extend an originally proposed 120-day period to 12 months.
• Normalized date: 2026-05-26 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-dubuque-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Supervisors vote (2-1: McDonough and Pothoff for, Kenniker against) approving a 12-month moratorium on data centers; specific resolution number not located in this pass.
• What prompted it: County was considering a separate data-center ordinance; board members wanted a longer pause than the staff-proposed 120 days.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Reported active as of the May 26, 2026 vote; not independently confirmed against a primary document in this pass.
• Outcome: Board rejected a shorter staff-proposed 120-day pause in favor of a 12-month moratorium on data centers.

Emmet County

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2024-10-15 -- Board of Supervisors approved Resolution #24-29 imposing a moratorium on conditional use/zoning permits for commercial wind energy conversion systems (CWECS), originally through 2025-01-31; continued by later resolutions (Resolution #25-30 on 2025-07-29 to 2025-09-30; continued on 2025-12-16 to 2026-03-31).
• Normalized date: 2024-10-15 (exact)
• Duration: Originally through 2025-01-31, repeatedly continued (to 2025-07-31, 2025-09-30, then 2026-03-31) while wind zoning amendments were prepared
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: wind
• Moratorium ID: ia-emmet-county-2024
• Legal basis: Resolution #24-29 (2024-10-15); continued by Resolution #25-30 (2025-07-29) and a Dec. 16, 2025 continuation; superseded by Ordinance 2026.01 (wind energy regulations) adopted March 2026
• What prompted it: Need to amend the county zoning ordinance's CWECS provisions; concern that CWECS could burden county infrastructure, the environment and wildlife.
• Affected projects: Did not affect already-filed CWECS permit applications.
• Detailed status: Replaced. The wind moratorium was continued through 2026-03-31 and superseded by Emmet County Ordinance 2026.01 (wind energy device regulations) passed and approved in March 2026.
• Outcome: Replaced by permanent wind energy regulations (Ordinance 2026.01, March 2026).

Emmet County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-01-28 (Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 25-05, 4-0 with one absent, per official minutes); continued by Resolution 25-36 (Sept. 2025, to 2026-03-31), Resolution 26-13 (2026-03-24, to 2026-09-30) and Resolution 26-28 (2026-09-22, to 2026-12-31)
• Normalized date: 2025-01-28 (exact)
• Duration: Until 2025-09-30 at 11:59 p.m. (Resolution 25-05), unless ended earlier on completion of zoning amendments; continued to 2026-03-31, then 2026-09-30, then 2026-12-31
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage, solar
• Moratorium ID: ia-emmet-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution 25-05 (2025-01-28), 'Temporary Moratorium on the Construction of USSES and BESS in the Unincorporated Areas of Emmet County, Iowa'; continued by Resolutions 25-36, 26-13 and 26-28
• What prompted it: Board wants ordinances regulating construction, operation and decommissioning of utility-scale solar and battery storage (safety, neighbouring property, county roads) before any are built.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Extended as of 2026-09-23; the USSES/BESS construction moratorium adopted 2025-01-28 has been continued three times, most recently by Resolution 26-28 (signed 2026-09-22), to 2026-12-31 at 11:59 p.m., while the county drafts solar and battery-storage zoning rules.
• Outcome: County drafting solar (and BESS) ordinance; board may end the moratorium early when zoning amendments are complete.

Emmet County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-25 -- Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 26-25, a one-year temporary moratorium on data center rezoning/subdivision/zoning-permit applications in unincorporated Emmet County, per the signed resolution and corroborating KTIV and Radio Iowa coverage.
• Normalized date: 2026-08-25 (exact)
• Duration: One year
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-emmet-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 26-25, "Establishing a Temporary Moratorium on Approval of Applications for Rezoning, Subdivision, or Zoning Permits for Data Centers in Unincorporated Emmet County, Iowa" (adopted 2026-08-25)
• What prompted it: Precautionary; board wanted regulations before any project is proposed, citing health concerns, water usage and energy needs.
• Affected projects: None; no inquiries had been made.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; one-year moratorium adopted 2026-08-25 while the county rewrites zoning; no data center inquiries had been received.
• Outcome: County to study effects and develop regulations during the one-year pause.

Floyd County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2023-11 -- moratorium on wind permits and applications enacted, also covering battery energy storage system (BESS) applications and permits (KCHA). Wind portion ended with the new wind ordinance (2026-01-06); BESS portion extended by Res #04-26 (2026-01-20) to 2026-08-04, lapsed 2026-08-04, and was renewed 2026-09-15 through 2026-12-29.
• Normalized date: 2023-11 (month_only)
• Duration: BESS moratorium currently through December 29, 2026 unless modified or repealed earlier
• Current end date: 2026-12-29
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-floyd-county-2023
• Legal basis: Original November 2023 wind/BESS moratorium; Res #04-26 (2026-01-20) extending the BESS moratorium to 2026-08-04; Board action of 2026-09-15 extending it through 2026-12-29
• What prompted it: County needs a BESS ordinance; BESS was not addressed in the new wind ordinance.
• Affected projects: None; no BESS applications submitted during the gap.
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23 through 2026-12-29. The prior extension expired Aug. 4, 2026 (no BESS applications were filed during the gap) and the Board unanimously renewed it on 2026-09-15 while Planning and Zoning finishes proposed BESS regulations.
• Outcome: Wind ordinance adopted 2026-01-06; BESS ordinance amendment expected before year-end 2026.

Franklin County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-31
• Normalized date: 2026-03-31 (exact)
• Duration: Temporary; end date not captured
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-franklin-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 2026A — "AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A MORATORIUM ON NEW PERMIT APPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF DATA CENTER PROJECTS WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, IOWA" (public hearing notice published in Hampton Chronicle 2026-03-18; first/second readings waived; third reading approved and ordinance adopted by unanimous vote of Lukensmeyer, McVicker, Vanness on 2026-03-31)
• What prompted it: County evaluation of impacts and planning needs for data center projects in unincorporated areas.
• Affected projects: New permit applications for data center projects in unincorporated Franklin County; no project names or MW listed.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Ordinance 2026A (adopted 2026-03-31) remains in force; Franklin County's July-August 2026 actions (Ordinances 2026B/2026C and Board recaps through Aug. 18) did not adopt data center regulations, so the moratorium's termination trigger has not occurred.
• Outcome: No replacement ordinance identified.

Henry County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-14 -- Board of Supervisors adopted a moratorium on siting applications for AI data centers, data mining facilities and battery energy storage systems at its weekly Thursday meeting, effective at noon that day.
• Normalized date: 2026-05-14 (exact)
• Duration: Through December 31, 2026
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-henry-county-2026
• Legal basis: Henry County Board of Supervisors moratorium action of 2026-05-14 (instrument number not published in coverage)
• What prompted it: County has no ordinances for solar, BESS, data centers or data mining facilities and wanted policy in place before any projects are proposed.
• Affected projects: None; no requests received as of adoption.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; remains in place through 2026-12-31 while the county drafts solar, BESS and data center/data mining ordinances (public discussion held in September 2026).
• Outcome: County drafting ordinances on commercial solar, BESS, data centers and data mining.

Ida County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-30 -- Board of Supervisors approved Resolution 26-30 For Moratorium on Data Processing Center (motion Whiteing, second Schubert, all voting aye), per official minutes.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-30 (exact)
• Duration: Indefinite, until the board votes otherwise
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-ida-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 26-30, For Moratorium on Data Processing Center (Ida County Board of Supervisors, 2026-06-30)
• What prompted it: Not detailed in the news coverage found.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (indefinite, until the Board votes otherwise). The Board released a 16-page first-draft data center ordinance on 2026-09-08 and held line-by-line workshops on Sept. 9 and Sept. 21; the draft must still go to Planning and Zoning and receive three readings before the moratorium can be lifted.
• Outcome: Board drafting a restrictive data center ordinance (exclusive-use EU-DC district, 20 MW cap, 1,000-ft residential buffer, farmland protections); PathOne Data Centers has proposed a small facility and says it cannot proceed while the moratorium is in place.

Iowa County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-31 -- Board of Supervisors passed Resolution 2026-07-31 establishing a twelve-month moratorium on data center applications (motion Montross, second Degen; Supervisor Maas absent), per official minutes.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-31 (exact)
• Duration: Twelve (12) months from the date of adoption, unless earlier rescinded or extended by resolution
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-iowa-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-07-31, A Resolution of the Iowa County Board of Supervisors Establishing a Twelve (12) Month Moratorium on the acceptance of data center applications (unincorporated Iowa County)
• What prompted it: County does not specifically regulate modern data centers; concerns about water use, electrical consumption, noise, cooling infrastructure and rural quality of life.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs to 2027-07-31 unless rescinded or extended.
• Outcome: Staff directed to review data center requests and propose definitions, standards and regulatory frameworks; county lacks comprehensive zoning.

Jackson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: Three documented adoptions in the captured record: (1) 2024-09-17 — Resolution #1066-09-17-2024 — "Resolution Approving Moratorium on Data Mining Facilities" (signed copy in record), originally through 2025-06-30 (text reads "for a period of months through June 30, 2025"). (2) 2025-09-09 — Resolution #1142-09-09-2025 — second moratorium re-established at the September 9, 2025 BoS meeting (signed minutes capture the motion and adoption). The interim 2025-03-25 "Resolution #1105-03-25-2025" referenced in earlier project notes is not corroborated in the captured Jackson County record and may have been a transcription of the 2024 resolution number; treat as ****.
• Normalized date: 2024-09-17 (exact)
• Duration: First instance (Sept 17, 2024) ran through June 30, 2025 (Resolution #1066-09-17-2024 text). Second instance (Sept 9, 2025) runs through August 31, 2026 unless ended sooner by board action (Resolution #1142-09-09-2025: "approving a Moratorium on Data Mining Facilities until August 31, 2026, unless ended sooner by action of the Board of Supervisors"). Third instance (adopted Aug. 4, 2026) replaced Resolution #1142-09-09-2025 before its Aug. 31, 2026 expiry and runs through Aug. 4, 2027, ending sooner if permanent regulations are adopted or the Board terminates it.
• Current end date: 2027-08-04
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining, data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-jackson-county-2024
• Legal basis: Resolution #1066-09-17-2024 (initial); Resolution #1142-09-09-2025 (re-establishment). Both adopted by Supervisors Schwenker, Steines, Flagel. The Citizen Portal article on the March 17, 2025 [sic — likely March 17, 2026] zoning commission meeting recounted that "a previous moratorium on data-mining facilities enacted in September 2024 [was] later rescinded; several members of the public said the moratorium's intent…had not been fully satisfied before the applicant filed." This reporting confirms the rescission/lapse between June 30, 2025 and the September 9, 2025 re-establishment. Replacement moratorium approved unanimously by the Board on 2026-08-04 (resolution number not published in the news coverage reviewed), broadening scope to high-density computing and data-processing facilities, including data centers.
• What prompted it: Resolution text cites lack of current county ordinance and need to protect infrastructure, natural resources, and property rights through adequate setback provisions while the Planning and Zoning Commission gathers information and coordinates with multiple agencies.
• Affected projects: One Aurum Capital Ventures bitcoin/data-mining special-exception application (project sized at about 2.5 megawatts) was the subject of a unanimous March 17, 2026 zoning commission recommendation against the applicant (recommend keep parcel A-1 zoning, deny special exception); applicant John Holberic represented Aurum Capital Ventures.
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23. On 2026-08-04 the Board unanimously approved a replacement moratorium (presented July 28) that took over from Resolution #1142-09-09-2025 before its Aug. 31, 2026 expiry, runs through 2027-08-04 (ending sooner if permanent regulations are adopted), and broadens the scope from data mining facilities to high-density computing and data-processing facilities including data centers in unincorporated Jackson County. The Zoning Commission had not yet formally recommended a permanent ordinance.
• Outcome: County reserved right to terminate early upon adoption of an ordinance ("BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Jackson County Board of Supervisors reserves the right to end the moratorium prior to the approved term…upon completion of a satisfactorily developed Data Mining Facilities Ordinance"). No final county ordinance had been adopted as of the captured March 17, 2026 zoning commission meeting.

Jackson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: January 2, 2024 (original); extended Sept. 10, 2024 and Dec. 23, 2025
• Normalized date: 2024-01-02 (exact)
• Duration: Extended through August 31, 2027
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-jackson-county-2024-2
• Legal basis: Resolution #1004-01-02-2024 (original); extended by Resolution #1063-09-10-2024 (to 2025-06-30) and Resolution #1157-12-23-2025 (to 2027-08-31)
• What prompted it: County lacks a Utility-Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems ordinance; Planning and Zoning Commission needs time to draft one
• Affected projects: None named
• Detailed status: Active/extended as of 2026-09-23, through Aug. 31, 2027.
• Outcome: Board reserves the right to terminate early upon adoption of a BESS ordinance

Jefferson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-08-11 -- Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a data center ordinance (Jefferson County Code Chapter 5-45) and a moratorium resolution imposing a 12-month halt on permits under that ordinance, after an Aug. 10 public hearing.
• Normalized date: 2026-08-11 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months, effective immediately, unless rescinded, modified or extended by the board
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-jefferson-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Supervisors moratorium resolution (number not published in coverage) halting permits under Jefferson County Code of Ordinances Chapter 5-45 (data center ordinance adopted the same day)
• What prompted it: Community petition (799 signers seeking a two-year pause); concerns about water use, air quality, noise and costs; newly adopted ordinance still needs committee review.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; 12-month moratorium from 2026-08-11 on permits for construction or material expansion of data centers in unincorporated Jefferson County.
• Outcome: Ordinance (Chapter 5-45) adopted alongside the moratorium; a committee will revise the ordinance during the pause.

Johnson County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-11-06
• Normalized date: 2025-11-06 (exact)
• Duration: Through 2026-11-08 at 11:59 p.m. CT unless extended or ended earlier
• Current end date: 2026-11-08
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-johnson-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 11-06-25-01
• What prompted it: Potential burden on power and water resources, area-character concerns, and need for Unified Development Ordinance amendments.
• Affected projects: Applies to rezoning, subdivision, site plan approvals, and building permits for data centers in unincorporated county; no project MW listed.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; scheduled to expire 2026-11-08 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Supervisors indicated they would likely consider an extension in early October 2026 while a permanent data center ordinance (and a possible outright ban, pending legal review) is drafted; no extension vote had been reported as of 2026-09-23.
• Outcome: County is drafting permanent UDO standards on siting, noise, water use, and review process. As of July 22-23, 2026, Johnson County supervisors and the Planning and Zoning Commission were still discussing policy direction for a proposed data-center ordinance (described as one of the more restrictive in eastern Iowa, covering water use, geographic limits, and closed-loop cooling); no ordinance had been adopted. The moratorium remains in effect through 2026-11-08 per Resolution No. 11-06-25-01.

Jones County

• Type: County
• Status: ⚪ Replaced
• Date enacted: 2024-10-15 (signed October 15, 2024 BoS minutes record adoption of "Resolution Approving a Moratorium on Data Mining Facilities," numbered 2024-149, by 5-0 roll-call vote; same meeting also adopted Resolution 2024-150 imposing a parallel moratorium on Utility Scale Battery Energy Storage Systems on the same terms).
• Normalized date: 2024-10-15 (exact)
• Duration: Originally through 2025-04-15 (resolution text), extendable by subsequent resolution; the moratorium was succeeded by a permanent regulatory ordinance rather than extended.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-jones-county-2024
• Legal basis: Resolution 2024-149 (data mining); companion Resolution 2024-150 (utility-scale battery energy storage)
• What prompted it: Board cited no current county data mining ordinance and need for planning/zoning work on setbacks and standards (resolution text).
• Affected projects: Not specified in moratorium or ordinance text.
• Detailed status: Reclassified: initial temporary moratorium (Resolution 2024-149) expired and replaced by permanent regulatory ordinance (2025). Web verification indicates the county's approach was primarily regulatory, not a traditional moratorium.
• Outcome: County adopted comprehensive Cryptocurrency and Data Center Ordinance (2025) with special use permit requirements. Reclassified from moratorium to regulatory action after verification.

Lee County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-16 -- Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted Resolution 2026-76 after first rejecting a motion to table it, per official minutes.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-16 (exact)
• Duration: Up to one year while the county studies a regulatory framework
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-lee-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-76, pausing construction of large- and small-scale data centers and other high-density facilities for up to one year
• What prompted it: County studying a regulatory framework for data centers
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31; no rescission or replacement identified in the reviewed sources.
• Outcome: —

Linn County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-01 -- per Linn County government CivicAlert, effective July 1, 2026; vote was not unanimous (Supervisor Sami Scheetz opposed).
• Normalized date: 2026-07-01 (exact)
• Duration: 18 months, effective through 11:59 p.m. Central Time on January 1, 2028
• Current end date: 2028-01-01
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-linn-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Supervisors resolution imposing an 18-month moratorium on new applications to rezone property to the EU-3 Large-Scale Data Center Zoning District in unincorporated Linn County.
• What prompted it: Board sought to pause new large-scale data-center rezoning applications even after having already adopted a permanent data-center zoning ordinance (approved Feb. 18, 2026) covering EU-3 districts.
• Affected projects: New applications to rezone property to the EU-3 Large-Scale Data Center Zoning District in unincorporated Linn County are paused; existing EU-3 zoning and the county's permanent data-center ordinance (Feb. 18, 2026) are unaffected. Applies only to unincorporated areas.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (took effect 2026-07-01); runs until 11:59 p.m. CT on 2028-01-01 unless extended, or ended early if the Board amends the Unified Development Ordinance for large-scale data centers or finds amendments unnecessary.
• Outcome: 18-month pause on new EU-3 large-scale data-center rezoning applications, adopted notwithstanding the county's own permanent data-center ordinance already being in place.

Louisa County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-07 -- Board of Supervisors approved the first reading of Ordinance 26-1 (data center moratorium) and waived the second and third readings after a public hearing (Daily Democrat); KCII reported the ordinance officially passed in its Aug. 4 story.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-07 (exact)
• Duration: 18 months or until an ordinance regulating data centers is adopted, whichever occurs first
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-louisa-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance 26-1 (Louisa County), moratorium on data center development in unincorporated areas covered by the county zoning ordinance
• What prompted it: Time to gather information and develop data center regulations; public concern about water and electricity use.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (18-month term, or until data center regulations are adopted). A separate cryptocurrency-mining moratorium (Ordinance 26-2) was advancing in September 2026.
• Outcome: Zoning to develop data center regulations during the pause.

Louisa County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: First reading of Ordinance 26-2 approved Sept. 1, 2026; second reading approved and third reading waived (voice vote) at the Sept. 15, 2026 Board of Supervisors meeting, following a public hearing, per The Hawk Eye/Mississippi Valley Publishing.
• Normalized date: 2026-09-15 (exact)
• Duration: 180 days from finalization (through approximately 2027-03-14), or until a county ordinance regulating cryptocurrency mining development is enacted, whichever occurs first
• Current end date: 2027-03-14
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-louisa-county-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Ordinance 26-2 (Louisa County), moratorium on new permit applications for development of cryptocurrency mining projects in the unincorporated area
• What prompted it: Resident request at the data center moratorium hearing to add crypto mining; supervisors committed to a separate crypto moratorium.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. The Hawk Eye (Mississippi Valley Publishing) confirms the moratorium was finalized Sept. 15, 2026 when the Board of Supervisors approved the second reading and waived the third reading of Ordinance 26-2, after a public hearing. The article notes the crypto moratorium is expected to eventually be combined with the county's existing data-center moratorium (Ordinance 26-1) into a single Planning and Zoning Commission amendment once current wind-energy amendment work is finished.
• Outcome: —

Madison County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-26 -- Board of Supervisors passed two 12-month moratoriums (data centers; battery storage systems) following a pair of public hearings; KCCI reports first reading approved unanimously with second and third readings waived (news-reported; ordinance numbers not located).
• Normalized date: 2026-05-26 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months (reported as two separate 12-month moratoriums, one for data centers and one for battery storage systems)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-madison-county-2026
• Legal basis: Two Board of Supervisors ordinances (data centers; battery storage systems) adopted 2026-05-26 with second and third readings waived, per KCCI; ordinance numbers not published in the coverage reviewed
• What prompted it: Board sought time to review zoning rules before allowing data center and battery storage development.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 per statewide roundups (Radio Iowa July 8, 2026; KCCI Sept. 9, 2026 lists Madison County among places with temporary pauses in place); no repeal or replacement ordinance found. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.45 in the 2026-07 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Marshall County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟡 Pending
• Date enacted: Pending -- Resolution 2026-0030 (six-month moratorium on application and permit processing for new data center developments in unincorporated Marshall County) on the Board of Supervisors' Sept. 23, 2026 agenda, following a unanimous Zoning Commission recommendation in August 2026.
• Normalized date: — (unverified)
• Duration: Six months; if approved, effective immediately and in place until March 24, 2027
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-marshall-county-undated
• Legal basis: Proposed Resolution 2026-0030 (Marshall County Board of Supervisors)
• What prompted it: No data center proposed yet; county wants time to review zoning regulations before a developer arrives.
• Affected projects: None proposed.
• Detailed status: Pending as of 2026-09-23: scheduled for a Board vote on 2026-09-23 (outcome not yet reported at research time).
• Outcome: —

Mitchell County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-11-25
• Normalized date: 2025-11-25 (exact)
• Duration: Through 2026-12-31
• Current end date: 2026-12-31
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-mitchell-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution #1336-25
• What prompted it: Board discussion referenced the need for county guidelines before approving data center activity.
• Affected projects: No specific applications named in the Mitchell County minutes for the November 25, 2025 adoption. Public comment referenced residents who had toured an existing bitcoin mining facility; "two bitcoin applications" was not supported by the captured November 25, 2025 minutes [VERIFY: no Mitchell County application docket reviewed].
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs through 2026-12-31. At the Aug. 4, 2026 meeting a resident urged the Board to extend the data center moratorium, and the Board reported that NIACOG (John Robbins) would begin the county's data center ordinance after finishing its solar ordinance; no data center ordinance or extension had been adopted as of late August 2026.
• Outcome: Board approved developing a data center ordinance with NIACOG support, pending planning and zoning process. Vote on Resolution #1336-25 was 4-1 (Frein, Marzen, Hartogh, Wherry ayes; Hendrickson nay).

Page County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-21 -- Board of Supervisors approved a data center moratorium by 2-1 vote (Maher, Rogers aye; Clark nay) on Tuesday afternoon, per KMA.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-21 (exact)
• Duration: No end date reported; described as a 'placeholder' that can be rescinded at any time
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-page-county-2026
• Legal basis: Page County Board of Supervisors moratorium vote (instrument number not reported)
• What prompted it: Time to research data centers and review county zoning for gaps.
• Affected projects: Does not affect existing data centers.
• Detailed status: Reported active as of 2026-07-21; no rescission found in later coverage through September 2026. [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-09 refresh]
• Outcome: —

Palo Alto County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-06-03 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 6-3-2025, a temporary moratorium on development/construction of cryptocurrency and data mining facilities; extended 2026-03-10 by Resolution No. 3-10-2026 to 2027-04-01 or passage of an ordinance.
• Normalized date: 2025-06-03 (exact)
• Duration: Extended to April 1, 2027 or passage of a cryptocurrency/data mining facility ordinance, whichever comes first; further extension possible by resolution
• Current end date: 2027-04-01
• Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-palo-alto-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution 6-3-2025 (original); Resolution No. 3-10-2026, 'A Resolution Extending a Temporary Moratorium on Cryptocurrency and Data Mining Facilities' (adopted 2026-03-10, 5-0)
• What prompted it: Companies interested in building crypto/data mining facilities; need to review ordinances to protect county roads, natural resources and property rights.
• Affected projects: None named.
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23 through 2027-04-01 (or earlier ordinance). Separate from the July 2026 all-classes data center moratorium (inventory row ia-palo-alto-county-2026).
• Outcome: Planning and Zoning to draft a cryptocurrency and data mining facility ordinance.

Palo Alto County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Extended
• Date enacted: 2025-05-13 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 5-13-2025 approving a temporary moratorium on utility-scale battery energy storage systems (motion Graettinger, second Solberg; unanimous).
• Normalized date: 2025-05-13 (exact)
• Duration: Originally until April 1, 2026 or passage of a BESS ordinance; renewed by Resolution No. 2-10-2026 (2026-02-10) until February 1, 2027 or passage of a BESS ordinance
• Current end date: 2027-02-01
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-palo-alto-county-2025-2
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 5-13-2025 (2025-05-13), original BESS moratorium to 2026-04-01; renewed by Resolution No. 2-10-2026 (2026-02-10), 'A Resolution Approving a Temporary Moratorium on Battery Energy Storage Systems,' effective immediately until 2027-02-01 or passage of a BESS ordinance
• What prompted it: Need to draft a utility-scale BESS ordinance.
• Affected projects: Invenergy solar project (requested a BESS ordinance, July 2026).
• Detailed status: Extended; active as of 2026-09-23 through 2027-02-01 (or earlier BESS ordinance). Resolution No. 2-10-2026 (2026-02-10) renewed the BESS moratorium before the original term lapsed; the March 10, 2026 Resolution No. 3-10-2026 extended only the separate cryptocurrency/data-mining moratorium despite its motion line's ambiguous wording. As of the July 7, 2026 meeting, Invenergy was still asking the Board for a battery-storage ordinance, confirming no BESS ordinance had been adopted and the moratorium remained in force.
• Outcome: —

Palo Alto County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-07-08 -- Board of Supervisors regular meeting; motion by Merrill, seconded by Graettinger. Roll call: Ayes: Faulstick, Merrill, Graettinger, Wirtz, Solberg; Nays: none.
• Normalized date: 2026-07-08 (exact)
• Duration: Effective immediately until July 8, 2027, or upon passage of a data-center ordinance, whichever is sooner
• Current end date: 2027-07-08
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-palo-alto-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 7-8-2026, A Resolution of the Palo Alto County Supervisors Approving a Moratorium on the Acceptance, Processing, and Approval of Applications for All Classes of Data Centers within the Unincorporated Areas of Palo Alto County.
• What prompted it: Board found current zoning ordinances do not specifically address modern data centers; cited concerns about water use, electrical consumption, noise, cooling infrastructure, and rural quality of life, and the need to coordinate with utilities, regional planning bodies, and other stakeholders before accepting applications.
• Affected projects: No specific project named; general moratorium on all classes of data-center applications in unincorporated Palo Alto County.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; runs until 2027-07-08 or earlier passage of a data center ordinance. No data center ordinance was found in Palo Alto County minutes or coverage through September 2026. (A separate, earlier cryptocurrency/data-mining moratorium, Resolution 6-3-2025, extended by Resolution 3-10-2026 to 2027-04-01, also remains in effect.)
• Outcome: Board directed Planning and Zoning Commission and County Attorney to review data-center zoning provisions used elsewhere and propose updated definitions/standards while the moratorium is in effect.

Plymouth County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-16 -- Board of Supervisors approved unanimously, per KLEM 1410.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-16 (exact)
• Duration: One year (to approximately 2027-06-16); can be revoked or extended by the Board at any time
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-plymouth-county-2026
• Legal basis: Board of Supervisors resolution (unanimous) placing a year-long moratorium on permitting large-scale data centers and industrial battery storage facilities; specific resolution number not located in this pass.
• What prompted it: Regulatory gap on siting large-scale data centers and industrial battery storage.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Reported active as of the June 16, 2026 vote; not independently confirmed against a primary document in this pass.
• Outcome: One-year pause on permitting large-scale data centers and industrial battery storage facilities.

Shelby County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-17
• Normalized date: 2026-03-17 (exact)
• Duration: Through 2027-07-01
• Current end date: 2027-07-01
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-shelby-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-16
• What prompted it: No ordinance governing commercial digital asset mining/data centers; concerns about infrastructure, natural resources, property rights, area character, and public health, safety, and welfare.
• Affected projects: No named data center project or MW listed.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Resolution 2026-16 runs through 2027-07-01 unless extended or superseded by an ordinance. Shelby County Board minutes for July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 1, 2026 record no ordinance adoption, extension or rescission for commercial digital asset mining/data center projects.
• Outcome: Moratorium adopted to allow drafting and adoption of a commercial digital asset mining/data center ordinance.

Shelby County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-17 -- Board of Supervisors regular meeting; motion by Schaben, seconded by Kolbe, carried unanimously.
• Normalized date: 2026-03-17 (exact)
• Duration: Effective immediately for a period ending July 1, 2027
• Current end date: 2027-07-01
• Sectors: solar
• Moratorium ID: ia-shelby-county-2026-2
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-14, Moratorium on Solar Energy Construction Permits
• What prompted it: Shelby County has no existing ordinance governing siting, construction, and operation of commercial solar energy systems.
• Affected projects: No specific project named in the resolution.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Resolution 2026-14 runs through 2027-07-01 unless extended or superseded by an ordinance. Shelby County Board minutes for July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 1, 2026 record no ordinance adoption, extension or rescission for commercial solar energy projects.
• Outcome: Adopted alongside companion moratoria on battery storage, digital asset mining/data centers (already in inventory as ia-shelby-county-2026), and wind energy, to allow drafting of siting ordinances for each sector.

Shelby County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-17 -- Board of Supervisors regular meeting; motion by Kolbe, seconded by Schaben, carried unanimously.
• Normalized date: 2026-03-17 (exact)
• Duration: Effective immediately for a period ending July 1, 2027
• Current end date: 2027-07-01
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-shelby-county-2026-3
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-15, Moratorium on Battery Storage Construction Permits
• What prompted it: Shelby County has no existing ordinance governing siting, construction, and operation of commercial battery storage projects.
• Affected projects: No specific project named in the resolution.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Resolution 2026-15 runs through 2027-07-01 unless extended or superseded by an ordinance. Shelby County Board minutes for July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 1, 2026 record no ordinance adoption, extension or rescission for commercial battery storage projects.
• Outcome: Adopted alongside companion moratoria on solar, digital asset mining/data centers (already in inventory as ia-shelby-county-2026), and wind energy.

Shelby County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-17 -- Board of Supervisors regular meeting; motion by Kolbe, seconded by Schaben, carried unanimously.
• Normalized date: 2026-03-17 (exact)
• Duration: Effective immediately for a period ending July 1, 2027
• Current end date: 2027-07-01
• Sectors: wind
• Moratorium ID: ia-shelby-county-2026-4
• Legal basis: Resolution 2026-17, Moratorium on Wind Energy Construction Permits
• What prompted it: Shelby County has no existing ordinance governing siting, construction, and operation of commercial wind energy systems.
• Affected projects: No specific project named in the resolution.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23; Resolution 2026-17 runs through 2027-07-01 unless extended or superseded by an ordinance. Shelby County Board minutes for July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 1, 2026 record no ordinance adoption, extension or rescission for commercial wind energy projects.
• Outcome: Adopted alongside companion moratoria on solar, battery storage, and digital asset mining/data centers (already in inventory as ia-shelby-county-2026).

Sioux County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-16
• Normalized date: 2026-06-16 (exact)
• Duration: One year, automatic sunset
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-sioux-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution No. 2026-32, prohibiting the Board of Supervisors, Zoning Board, and Board of Adjustment from receiving, reviewing, considering, or approving any Data Center and/or BESS application, to allow time to review Ordinance No. 01
• What prompted it: Board desired additional time to review Sioux County Ordinance No. 01 (the county's general land-use/zoning ordinance) before any data center or BESS project could be considered; the resolution notes no such facilities were installed or in development in the county at the time.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31 (sunsets automatically 2027-06-16 absent further Board action)
• Outcome: —

Story County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-06-17
• Normalized date: 2025-06-17 (exact)
• Duration: Through 2025-12-31; extended through 2026-03-31 by Resolution #26-36 (2025-11-25); further extended through 2027-03-31 by Resolution #26-69 (2026-03-17)
• Current end date: 2027-03-31
• Sectors: data center, battery storage, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-story-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution #25-97 (adopted 2025-06-17); extended via Resolution #26-36 (adopted 2025-11-25) through 2026-03-31; further extended via Resolution #26-69 (adopted 2026-03-17) through 2027-03-31. The same March 17, 2026 meeting adopted Ordinance No. 330 (third consideration), which permanently regulates battery/energy storage uses, spinning BESS out of the moratorium; the moratorium itself continues to cover digital asset mining, cryptocurrency operations, and data processing centers.
• What prompted it: County regulations were silent on digital asset mining, cryptocurrency operations, data processing centers, and battery/energy storage uses.
• Affected projects: No specific project names or MW listed.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Extended via Resolution #26-69 (adopted 2026-03-17) through 2027-03-31, covering digital asset mining, cryptocurrency operations, and data processing centers (BESS was moved to permanent Ordinance No. 330, adopted the same day). No further rescission or replacement found; a September 2026 statewide roundup still lists the moratorium as in place through March 2027.
• Outcome: Draft regulations were developed. On 2026-03-17 the Board adopted Ordinance No. 330 permanently regulating battery/energy storage and, the same day, extended the moratorium for digital asset mining, cryptocurrency operations and data processing centers to 2027-03-31 via Resolution #26-69 while it works with legal counsel on data center regulations.

Tama County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-11-10 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 11-10-2025A, "Resolution for Immediate and Indefinite Moratorium on Data Mining and Centers in Tama County, IA" (motion Hilmer, second Knebel; roll call 5-0: Hilmer, Turner, Knebel, Doland, Kupka), per the official November 10, 2025 minutes, which reproduce the full resolution text.
• Normalized date: 2025-11-10 (exact)
• Duration: Indefinite: remains in effect until (1) a comprehensive land use plan is adopted by Tama County and (2) the Zoning Commission drafts and the Board enacts a data mining and center ordinance.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
• Moratorium ID: ia-tama-county-2025
• Legal basis: Resolution 11-10-2025A, "Resolution for Immediate and Indefinite Moratorium on Data Mining and Centers in Tama County, IA" (adopted 2025-11-10, 5-0)
• What prompted it: No county ordinance governs siting, construction or operation of data mining and centers; concerns about impacts on agricultural resources, electricity infrastructure, water resources and community character, and the absence of a comprehensive plan.
• Affected projects: Not specified.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (indefinite; ends only after a comprehensive land use plan and a data mining/center ordinance are adopted). Tama County Board minutes for July 20, July 27 and Aug. 24, 2026 record no data center ordinance, comprehensive plan adoption, or rescission.
• Outcome: Zoning Commission directed to develop a comprehensive data center ordinance. The Board adopted a parallel indefinite battery storage moratorium (Resolution 11-10-2025B) at the same November 10, 2025 meeting (submitted separately as a new candidate). No replacement ordinance identified as of September 2026.

Tama County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2025-11-10 -- Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution 11-10-2025B, 'A Resolution Establishing an Indefinite Moratorium on Battery Storage Projects in Tama County' (motion Turner, second Kupka; roll call 5-0), per official minutes.
• Normalized date: 2025-11-10 (exact)
• Duration: Indefinite: until a comprehensive land use plan is adopted and the Zoning Commission drafts and the Board enacts an ordinance
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-tama-county-2025-2
• Legal basis: Resolution 11-10-2025B (Tama County Board of Supervisors, 2025-11-10)
• What prompted it: No ordinance for battery storage; concerns about fire hazards, safety risks, emergency response preparedness, environmental contamination, setbacks and visual impacts; agricultural preservation.
• Affected projects: Applies to all proposed battery storage facilities not permitted or under construction as of adoption.
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23 (indefinite); no comprehensive plan, BESS ordinance or rescission found in Board minutes through Aug. 24, 2026.
• Outcome: Zoning Commission directed to develop a comprehensive ordinance.

Taylor County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-05-07 -- Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to amend Resolution 2023-21 (the existing wind-turbine moratorium) to include data centers, solar panels, wind turbines and battery storage, then 3-0 to add mineral extractions, per official May 7, 2026 minutes. The moratorium was then formalized as Ordinance #40, approved 3-0 on 2026-07-30 after a public hearing and three readings on 2026-07-23.
• Normalized date: 2026-05-07 (exact)
• Duration: Twelve (12) months from publication of Ordinance #40 (adopted 2026-07-30); may be renewed. Publication date not located, so the exact end date (about late July/August 2027) is not fixed here.
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center, solar, battery storage
• Moratorium ID: ia-taylor-county-2026
• Legal basis: Ordinance #40, "Taylor County Temporary Development Moratorium Ordinance" (temporary moratorium on acceptance, processing and approval of applications for data center, solar energy system, battery energy storage system and mineral right development), adopted 2026-07-30 under Iowa Code 331.301, 335.2 and 335.3; preceded by the 2026-05-07 amendment of Resolution 2023-21.
• What prompted it: —
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-09-23. Ordinance #40 was approved 3-0 on 2026-07-30 and runs twelve months from publication for data centers, solar energy systems (>50 kW or >1/2 acre), battery energy storage systems and mineral right development. Wind is not covered by Ordinance #40, and the Board approved the Black Maple Wind WECS permit application in late August 2026.
• Outcome: Board formed a land-use committee to draft permanent rules for data centers, solar, battery storage and mineral rights; the chair hopes to have regulations before the end of 2026 and said the moratorium can be renewed.

Union County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-03-18 -- Board of Supervisors voted unanimously (Hopkins, Friday; Brown absent) to move forward with setting up the moratorium. The formal instrument, Resolution #21 FYR 25/26 (Moratorium on Data Centers), was adopted at the March 25, 2026 regular session by roll call vote (Brown aye, Hopkins aye, Friday aye, motion carried).
• Normalized date: 2026-03-25 (exact)
• Duration: Up to one year from adoption of Resolution #21 FYR 25/26 (adopted 2026-03-25); the Board stated it "may or may not act on this matter, but at the minimum, we plan to revisit this issue in one year."
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-union-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution #21 FYR 25/26, "Moratorium on Data Centers," adopted March 25, 2026 by roll call vote (Brown aye, Hopkins aye, Friday aye).
• What prompted it: County discussion of data centers, local utility and infrastructure concerns, and desire for a research committee.
• Affected projects: Southwest Iowa REC-owned data center discussed in media coverage; per March 23, 2026 Creston News, REC's Phil Kinser said the project is "much smaller compared to the figures presented by the county during the last meeting"; no MW listed. The pending year-long moratorium is expected to allow the Southwest Iowa REC project to continue development.
• Detailed status: Active. Resolution #21 FYR 25/26 was adopted March 25, 2026, imposing a moratorium on construction of data centers and other high-density facilities "for a period of up to one Year." A review of Union County board minutes from March 25 through July 22, 2026 found no subsequent rescission, extension, or replacement.
• Outcome: County created a data center committee whose members include: Phil Kinser (Southwest Iowa REC); Dillon Daughenbaugh; Jessica Hagen (Union County Assessor); Roger Vicker (Protect Our Land's Future); Christian Boehmer (Union County Engineer); Jeff Rice (SIRWA — Southern Iowa Rural Water Association).

Woodbury County

• Type: County
• Status: 🟢 Active
• Date enacted: 2026-06-23 -- "Passed and approved this 23rd day of June, 2026" per Resolution 14064.
• Normalized date: 2026-06-23 (exact)
• Duration: 12 months from adoption unless earlier rescinded or extended (to on or about 2027-06-23)
• Current end date: —
• Sectors: data center
• Moratorium ID: ia-woodbury-county-2026
• Legal basis: Resolution 14064, Twelve (12) month Moratorium on the acceptance, processing, and approval of applications for all classes of data centers within the unincorporated areas of Woodbury County, Iowa.
• What prompted it: Regulatory gap on siting and review of data-center applications in unincorporated Woodbury County.
• Affected projects: —
• Detailed status: Active as of 2026-07-31.
• Outcome: Twelve-month pause on accepting, processing, or approving data-center applications in unincorporated Woodbury County.

Source: moratorium_inventory.csv · Methodology · Codebook.

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