No project in Palo City, but 4 nearby
Who decides here: the City Council of Palo City votes on zoning. The Linn County may review big projects too.
Nearby (within 15 miles)
Google data center at Big Cedar Industrial Center (Cedar Rapids)
Cedar Rapids, Linn County
for Google
🕒 May 30, 2025: Google announced $7 billion for Iowa over two years, including a new data center in Ceda…
Approved, not built yetabout 9 miles awayOppidan data center at 1515 33rd Ave. SW (Cedar Rapids)
Cedar Rapids, Linn County
🕒 July 8, 2026: City confirmed a third data center is planned on the southwest side.
Being builtabout 10 miles awayQTS data center campus at Big Cedar Industrial Center (Cedar Rapids)
Cedar Rapids, Linn County
612 acres
🕒 Dec 2, 2025: City Council unanimously approved changes to the deal: up to seven phases, each at least…
Proposedabout 10 miles awayGoogle data center campus near Duane Arnold nuclear plant (Palo area)
Unincorporated Linn County, Linn County
545 acres · for Google
🕒 Aug 10, 2026: Linn County supervisors declined to allow large data centers next to nuclear plants duri…
Local votes and rules
📜 Data center rules
Palo's council voted 4-1 on the final reading of Ordinance 93-2026. It creates a special zoning district (EU-1) for data centers, with setbacks, noise and traffic rules. It does not approve any project; Google is still looking at land near Palo. Most people at the meetings spoke against it.
What you can do
- Get told first.
We'll email you if anything changes in Palo City. - Go to council meetings.
Anyone can speak. Big projects usually need a public hearing. - Ask questions in writing.
Use our checklist.
🔔 Get told first
⚡ Your electric company
Depending on where you live in Palo City: Interstate Power and Light Co. (company) or Linn County Rec (co-op (owned by its members)).
Big data centers need a lot of power. Who pays for new power lines depends on state rules. See the rules in Iowa.