Iowa local moratoria
Every local infrastructure moratorium in the inventory for Iowa, current through August 19, 2026.
30 instruments — 29 in force, 0 pending, 1 past.
State policy is tracked separately: 12 actions (12 bills) in state_legislation.csv. These are not included in the local count above.
| Jurisdiction | Type | Enacted | Sectors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | County | 2026-03-18 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Audubon County | County | 2026-05-05 | data center, cryptocurrency mining | 🟢 Active |
| Cedar County | County | 2026-05-26 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| City of Peosta | City | 2026-06-23 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Clarke County | County | 2025-06-23 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Clayton County | County | 2025-02-25 | cryptocurrency mining, data center | 🟢 Extended |
| Des Moines County | County | 2026-05-19 | data center, cryptocurrency mining | 🟢 Active |
| Dickinson County | County | 2026-05-12 | data center, cryptocurrency mining, solar, battery storage | 🟢 Active |
| Dubuque County | County | 2026-05-26 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Franklin County | County | 2026-03-31 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Ida County | County | 2026-06-30 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Jackson County | County | 2024-09-17 | cryptocurrency mining | 🟢 Active |
| Johnson County | County | 2025-11-06 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Jones County | County | 2024-10-15 | data center, battery storage, cryptocurrency mining | ⚪ Replaced |
| Lee County | County | 2026-06-16 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Linn County | County | 2026-07-01 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Madison County | County | 2026-05 | data center, battery storage | 🟢 Active |
| Mitchell County | County | 2025-11-25 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Palo Alto County | County | 2026-07-08 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Plymouth County | County | 2026-06-16 | data center, battery storage | 🟢 Active |
| Shelby County | County | 2026-03-17 | data center, cryptocurrency mining | 🟢 Active |
| Shelby County | County | 2026-03-17 | solar | 🟢 Active |
| Shelby County | County | 2026-03-17 | battery storage | 🟢 Active |
| Shelby County | County | 2026-03-17 | wind | 🟢 Active |
| Sioux County | County | 2026-06-16 | data center, battery storage | 🟢 Active |
| Story County | County | 2025-06-17 | data center, battery storage, cryptocurrency mining | 🟢 Active |
| Tama County | County | 2025-11-10 | data center, cryptocurrency mining | 🟢 Active |
| Taylor County | County | 2026-05-07 | data center, solar, battery storage, wind | 🟢 Active |
| Union County | County | 2026-03-25 | data center | 🟢 Active |
| Woodbury County | County | 2026-06-23 | data center | 🟢 Active |
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: Not captured in news report; resolution text not yet obtained
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- 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 2026-07-31. Official minutes through 2026-07-15 show a draft data center ordinance was discussed (March 25, 2026 meeting: Supervisor Hoadley presented an AI-drafted ordinance for County Attorney review) but never formally adopted, so Resolution #2026-26's temporary moratorium remains in force.
- 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: 🟢 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:
— - 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 2026-07-31; no rescission, expiration, or replacement identified in the reviewed sources.
- Outcome: —
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 2026-07-31; board approved the moratorium and authorized signature on 2026-05-26, but no signed instrument was located to confirm it took effect or its exact term. [VERIFY instrument number not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
- 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: —
Clarke County
- Type: County
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: 2025-06-23
- Normalized date:
2025-06-23(exact) - Duration: Temporary; end date not captured
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- Moratorium ID:
ia-clarke-county-2025 - Legal basis: Resolution #25-011
- 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
- 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:
— - 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
- 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.
Franklin County
- Type: County
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: 2026-03-31
- Normalized date:
2026-03-31(unverified) - 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 2026-07-31. Franklin County adopted two further ordinances (2026B and 2026C) on 2026-07-14 covering Commercial Bitcoin Installation, Commercial Batteries, solar, and nuclear as conditional uses, but neither addresses "data center" development, so the moratorium's early-termination trigger has not been met.
- Outcome: No replacement ordinance identified.
Ida County
- Type: County
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: 2026-06-30 (news-reported; not primary-sourced)
- Normalized date:
2026-06-30(range) - Duration: Indefinite, until the board votes otherwise
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center
- Moratorium ID:
ia-ida-county-2026 - Legal basis: County Board of Supervisors action; resolution/ordinance number not found in news coverage
- What prompted it: Not detailed in the news coverage found.
- Affected projects: —
- Detailed status: Reported active as of publication (2026-07-13); not independently confirmed past that date [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.4 in the 2026-07 refresh]
- Outcome: —
Jackson County
- Type: County
- Status: 🟢 Active
- 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").
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: cryptocurrency mining
- 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.
- 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: Active. The March 25, 2025 moratorium (Resolution #1105-03-25-2025) was never rescinded -- it expired naturally on 2025-08-31 per its own terms, per the recitals of the resolution that replaced it. It was re-enacted via Resolution #1142-09-09-2025, effective through 2026-08-31 unless ended sooner by Board action. As of 2026-07-31, no rescission or replacement ordinance has been confirmed in primary records; Planning & Zoning reportedly planned to present a proposed 12-month extension to the Board on 2026-07-28, but the meeting's minutes were not yet posted at research time and the outcome could not be confirmed.
- 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.
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:
— - 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
- 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:
— - 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 2026-07-31 (took effect 2026-07-01).
- 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.
Madison County
- Type: County
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: 2026-05-26 (news-reported; exact date not primary-sourced)
- Normalized date:
2026-05(month_only) - 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: County Commission action following public hearings; resolution/ordinance number not found in news coverage
- What prompted it: Board sought time to review zoning rules before allowing data center and battery storage development.
- Affected projects: —
- Detailed status: Reported active as of the May 26, 2026 vote; not independently confirmed past that date [VERIFY instrument number; primary source (news-only evidence) not confirmed at confidence 0.45 in the 2026-07 refresh]
- 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:
— - 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
- 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).
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:
— - 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 2026-07-31 (adopted 23 days prior).
- 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:
— - 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
- 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:
— - 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 2026-07-31; expires July 1, 2027 unless extended or superseded by an ordinance.
- 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:
— - 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 2026-07-31; expires July 1, 2027 unless extended or superseded by an ordinance.
- 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:
— - 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 2026-07-31; expires July 1, 2027 unless extended or superseded by an ordinance.
- 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:
— - 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. 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 through the July 21, 2026 minutes.
- Outcome: Draft regulations were developed. March 2026 records indicate the Board removed the data center section from a draft ordinance and directed staff to pursue further moratorium extension, but no post-2026-03-31 extension was confirmed.
Tama County
- Type: County
- Status: 🟢 Active
- Date enacted: 2025-11-10 (per Tama County Board of Supervisors agenda packet for 2025-11-10 listing "Resolution 11-10-2025A Moratorium on Data Mining and Centers in Tama County, IA"). The companion BESS Resolution 11-10-2025B was confirmed adopted on the same date (5-0 roll call: Hilmer, Turner, Knebel, Doland, Kupka) per the November 17, 2025 BoS packet, which strongly implies Resolution 11-10-2025A was also adopted on November 10, 2025; however, captured records do not contain a separate signed resolution exhibit for 11-10-2025A.
- Normalized date:
2025-11-10(exact) - Duration: Not captured (companion BESS Resolution 11-10-2025B was indefinite, sunsetting only upon adoption of comprehensive land-use plan and BESS ordinance; the data-center counterpart's duration term has not been confirmed against signed resolution text)
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center, cryptocurrency mining
- Moratorium ID:
ia-tama-county-2025 - Legal basis: Resolution 11-10-2025A, listed on agenda as "Moratorium on Data Mining and Centers in Tama County, IA"
- What prompted it: Not captured in agenda-only source. (Companion BESS Resolution 11-10-2025B cited fire hazards, safety risks, emergency response preparedness, environmental contamination, setbacks, and visual impacts.)
- Affected projects: Not specified.
- Detailed status: Active per agenda evidence; signed text not captured
- Outcome: Full resolution text not captured. The Tama County Board adopted a parallel battery storage moratorium (Resolution 11-10-2025B) at the same November 10, 2025 meeting, directing the Zoning Commission 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 (an existing wind-turbine moratorium) to also cover data centers, solar panels, battery storage, and mineral extraction, per official May 7 minutes. The executed amendment document was not located; a draft Ordinance 40 covering similar subject matter was later published in June 2026. [VERIFY]
- Normalized date:
2026-05-07(unverified) - Duration: Not specified in the May 7 minutes
- Current end date:
— - Sectors: data center, solar, battery storage, wind
- Moratorium ID:
ia-taylor-county-2026 - Legal basis: Board of Supervisors vote (3-0) amending Resolution 2023-21, originally a temporary moratorium on wind-turbine construction, to add data centers, solar panels, battery storage, and mineral extraction; the executed amendment text was not located in this pass
- What prompted it: —
- Affected projects: —
- Detailed status: Status uncertain as of 2026-07-31; a draft Ordinance 40 (data center/solar moratorium) was published by the county in June 2026 but not confirmed adopted. [VERIFY details not confirmed at confidence 0.55 in the 2026-07 refresh]
- Outcome: —
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.