Google Seeks Palo Annexation for $1 Billion Iowa Data Center to Dodge County Water Rules
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 13
Google Seeks Palo Annexation for $1 Billion Iowa Data Center to Dodge County Water Rules
2 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 13
Summary
Google last week sent letters to Palo residents backing annexation of a 545-acre site, advancing a plan to build a $1 billion data center campus outside Linn County’s new water restrictions.
The move followed a February break with county officials, who had just adopted rules requiring large data centers to prove sustainable water supply, disclose usage and accept possible curbs during droughts.
County officials said water was the main impasse: Google resisted public reporting demands, while Palo’s July ordinance largely mirrors the county’s but only requires state water-permit paperwork.
The proposed campus could seek permits for as much as 15 million gallons a day from the Cedar River using evaporative cooling, adding to pressure from existing data centers and planned power plants.
The dispute has widened local backlash over annexation as a data-center tactic; Linn County imposed an 18-month moratorium in July, though Google’s project is exempt.