en.Wedoany.com Reported - A data center may be built on a 900-acre plot of land in Salix, Iowa, USA. Energy company MidAmerican has secured an option on the land and is evaluating its development as a data center site.

The site, bounded by Old Highway 75, 260th Street, and Charles Avenue, was annexed from Woodbury County by the Salix City Council in April. On June 8, MidAmerican wrote to the Salix City Council, stating that the site "is being evaluated for potential development as a data center location." The company said its affiliate, Midwest Capital Group, Inc., has obtained an option on the property, aiming to transfer it to a future customer who will develop the site. The letter also noted that no end-user customer has been selected, but any customer must bear the full cost of the infrastructure required for its load, including investments in power generation, transmission, and substations, and pay the approved tariff rates applicable to customers of this scale.

Salix officials stated on June 10 that MidAmerican has not yet submitted a rezoning application for the project, which remains in its early stages. However, opposition is strong. Minutes from the June 10 city council meeting show that many residents expressed ongoing concerns about the potential negative impacts of a data center on the city, and that many people live near the annexed land and do not want industrial or commercial development close to their homes. The minutes noted that only two people supported the annexation.

As of now, a petition opposing the facility has gathered over 540 signatures. Woodbury County, which previously governed the land, passed a data center moratorium on June 23 amid strong opposition. The moratorium will not affect MidAmerican's plans but will prevent approval of new data center projects on unincorporated county land. MidAmerican supplies power to most of Iowa, as well as parts of Illinois, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Salix is located in western Iowa, near the border with Nebraska.