Peosta Officials in the Process of Crafting Data Center Ordinance

Just two weeks after staunch opposition and a petition circulating on social media led to Dubuque County supervisors halting potential data center development for at least a year, Peosta city officials are working on crafting their own ordinance in the event a facility wants to open one in the community.

The development of an ordinance comes after Peosta city leaders were approached informally by representatives of a company looking to build a data center in the area, per KWWL.

READ MORE: Dubuque County Supervisors Approve One-Year Moratorium on Data Center

Why Data Centers are So Controversial and Problematic:

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.

Why Peosta is Working on a Data Center Ordinance:

While Dubuque County supervisors placed a moratorium on the data center matter for the next 12 months, Peosta operates as an independent municipality, so they are free to establish their own framework and guidelines for something like this, per Brian Schatz, Peosta City Council Member via KWWL.

Peosta officials added that they want to "proactively gather information and learn what they need to make decisions about the city's future." The council asked city staff to begin researching how other cities have handled data center ordinances and what kind of guidelines they've crafted.

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READ MORE: The Largest Data Center in Illinois Just Got Approved

Our discussion at last week's work session was literally for the mayor to put the topic on our table for work by the council, and we asked our city staff to begin researching ordinances and issues so we could become informed and get prepared as a municipality should we ever get a formal request - per Brian Schatz, Peosta City Council Member via KWWL

Peosta City Council will continue to deliberate and discuss the prospect of bringing a data center to the community in the coming months. Find out more information on KWWL's website.