The Data Center Divide
A policy snapshot ahead of the 2026 midterms. Mapping data center incentives, restrictions, and bans through legislation, regulations, and executive actions across all 50 states and 1,462 local jurisdictions.
Palo Alto County
This restriction takes precedence while in effect. The rating below excludes temporary restrictions.
Neutral Data Center Policies
Palo Alto County’s enacted moratorium bars data center applications and construction, including conversions, in unincorporated areas until July 8, 2027, or sooner if a regulating ordinance passes.
Rating from Iowa statewide as there are no scored current or future laws outside temporary restrictions for Palo Alto County.
Specific to Palo Alto County only.
current law · Unincorporated areasProhibits new data center applications, construction, installations, and conversions in unincorporated Palo Alto County until July 8, 2027, or until the county adopts data center regulations, whichever comes first.Palo Alto County Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 7-8-2026
What this means
The measure would stop the county from accepting or approving data center applications and prohibit construction, including converting existing buildings, in unincorporated Palo Alto County. The moratorium would last until July 8, 2027, or until a regulating ordinance is passed sooner, making this a severe but temporary restriction.
Timing
- Ends
- 2027-07-08, or earlier upon passage of an ordinance regulating data centers
The Board may extend the moratorium as permitted by law if substantial deficiencies remain in the comprehensive review and additional time is necessary to complete the work and protect the public.
People behind it
- Ron Graettinger
Moved to introduce and approve Resolution No. 7-7-2026 concerning the transfer of funds; seconded the motion to introduce and approve Resolution No. 7-8-2026 concerning the data-center moratorium.
- Roger Faulstick
Seconded the motion to introduce and approve Resolution No. 7-7-2026 concerning the transfer of funds.
- Craig Merrill
Moved to introduce and approve Resolution No. 7-8-2026 concerning the data-center moratorium.
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- Anne Quail
County Attorney who presented the resolution establishing the data-center moratorium.
- Palo Alto County Board of Supervisors
Governmental body that introduced, approved, and adopted the resolutions.
- Carmen Moser
County Auditor authorized to administer the funds transfer, correct the books, and notify the County Treasurer.
- Palo Alto County Staff, including the Zoning and Planning Commission
Directed to review data-center regulations, develop recommendations, and support the moratorium’s implementation.
Restrictions & requirementsHide restrictions & requirements3
A temporary moratorium immediately prohibits the acceptance, processing, consideration, and approval of any zoning, subdivision, site-plan, conditional-use, building-permit, rezoning, or other development application for any type or class of data center in the unincorporated areas of Palo Alto County. It lasts until July 8, 2027, or until an ordinance regulating data centers is enacted, whichever occurs first, and may be extended as permitted by law.
No data center facilities or related appurtenances may be constructed or installed in the unincorporated areas during the moratorium, including renovation of existing structures for use as data centers.
The restrictions apply broadly to facilities used for centralized digital-data storage, management, processing, or transmission, as well as facilities involving high-density servers, specialized cooling, related digital infrastructure, or energy-storage systems. The definition expressly includes enterprise, colocation, hyperscale, server-farm, cloud-computing, and similar facilities.
Sources
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