Opposition to Dubuque Data Center Leads to Possible Moratorium

In recent months, the construction of massive data centers has been approved or proposed all across the United States. With them comes serious concern from local residents about their electricity usage and the sanctity of the environment, including land and water supply. This week, the potential for a data center hit Dubuque and residents immediately vocalized their opposition.

Speaking broadly, these data centers are large facilities that house computer systems for telecommunications and storage. The AI Boom has led to the rapid growth of the industry, and is leading to a strain on electric grids and rising electricity costs for residents. In short, locals bear the brunt of the social and economic impacts, like water and energy use, while those involved with the centers' operation receive the profits.

The Possibility of a Data Center in Dubuque Got Residents Active Immediately:

This week, the Dubuque County Planning and Zoning Commission discussed the possibility of a large-scale data center in the community. For clarity: there have been no formal applications from any businesses for one just yet. But the very thought of a data center being erected in Dubuque County brought hundreds of residents out to the meeting, mostly to voice their opposition.

KWWL reports hundreds of people packed the May 19th meeting, both in-person and virtually. Local leaders say the topic was on the agenda solely to have a conversation about the potential for future interest from tech companies.

Residents Responded with a Petition Against Data Centers in Dubuque County:

That said, the prospect was enough to get hundreds to interrupt their midweek plans to attend the meeting to get all the facts for themselves. In the hours leading up to the meeting, a petition on MoveOn.org saying "No" to Dubuque-area data centers racked up thousands of signatures. As of this writing, the petition has garnered over 6,800 signatures.

Dubuque County Planning & Development Director Ed Raber stated that the county could look at a recent ordinance drafted in Linn County regarding data centers to provide a baseline:

[Linn County's ordinance] was all encompassing and probably covered some things that really isn't necessarily the responsibility of a planning and zoning department to regulate, but they did regulate building setbacks, setbacks from data center property to the nearest residentially zoned property, they required water studies - Dubuque County Planning & Development Director Ed Raber, per KWWL

Following the meeting, the commission recommended that the Board of Supervisors put a moratorium on data center development for one year. This would essentially put the idea to bed for an extended period of time in effort for public input and guidance on the prospect to crystalize.

All that being said, the staunch opposition to data centers seems to be growing, if anything. A recent Gallup poll shows a whopping 71% of people oppose AI data centers in their community. Furthermore, AI in general is becoming increasingly unpopular amongst the general public, despite its rapid and widespread adoption.