Jefferson County IA data center ordinance + 12-month moratorium
Jefferson County, IA — Board of Supervisors Adopts Data Center Ordinance and 12-Month Moratorium on Permit Applications (August 10, 2026)
Jefferson County, IA · Jefferson County, IA Board of Supervisors, data center ordinance and 12-month moratorium (unanimous 3-0, August 10, 2026; second and third readings waived)
- Status
- In effect
- Expires
- August 10, 2027
- Applies to
- Data center and cryptocurrency mining developers seeking permits or approvals in unincorporated Jefferson County, IA
- Enforced by
- Jefferson County, IA Board of Supervisors; Jefferson County Planning and Zoning
The Jefferson County, Iowa Board of Supervisors voted unanimously 3-0 on August 10, 2026 to adopt both a data center ordinance and a 12-month moratorium halting new permit applications for data center development in unincorporated Jefferson County. The three supervisors — Joe Ledger, Lee Dimmitt, and Susie Drish — waived the second and third readings to give both measures immediate effect. The ordinance applies to data centers using 5 megawatts or more of continuous electricity and expressly covers cryptocurrency mining operations. A crop suitability rating requirement was added to the ordinance to help protect agricultural land. The 12-month moratorium prohibits the county from accepting or approving rezoning petitions, conditional use permits, building permits, and other zoning-related approvals for data center construction or placement. A 45-minute public hearing the night before drew nearly unanimous opposition from residents, who raised concerns about demands on aquifers and the electrical grid, noise, environmental effects, and whether data centers provide enough local benefit. Jefferson County's county seat is Fairfield.
Who is protected: Jefferson County, IA residents in unincorporated areas from unchecked data center development during the moratorium period; agricultural landowners protected by crop suitability rating requirement
Legal detail
Jefferson County, IA Board of Supervisors, unanimous 3-0 vote, August 10, 2026. Two parallel instruments: (1) Data Center Ordinance — applies to facilities with 5MW or more continuous electricity demand in unincorporated Jefferson County; covers cryptocurrency mining; includes crop suitability rating requirement for agricultural land protection; (2) 12-Month Moratorium — halts receipt of applications and granting of all zoning-related permits for data center placement or construction, including rezone petitions, conditional use permits, and other approvals. Second and third readings waived for immediate effect. Duration: 12 months from August 10, 2026 (through ~August 10, 2027). Moratorium may be extended. Note: one secondary source excerpt quotes the moratorium as an '18-month halt' — this may refer to a proposed duration from an earlier draft or a different reading of the language; KILJ Radio's headline ('One-Year Moratorium') is treated as primary. Jefferson County IA is in southeastern Iowa; county seat Fairfield. Background: packed joint meeting in May 2026 addressed initial data center concerns; July 30, 2026 public hearing scheduled; August 9 evening public hearing confirmed before the August 10 vote.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Jefferson County, IA |
|---|---|
| Level | County |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 10, 2026 |
| Citation | Jefferson County, IA Board of Supervisors, data center ordinance and 12-month moratorium (unanimous 3-0, August 10, 2026; second and third readings waived) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Jefferson County Approves Data Center Ordinance and One-Year Moratorium — KILJ Radio |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
See something wrong or out of date? Submit a correction. Every entry must carry a verifiable source.