KAAL TV reports…

Freeborn County is putting off data center development for another year as officials work on rules for how those projects could be regulated.

The Freeborn County Board of Commissioners approved an extension of its data center moratorium following a public hearing on August 18.

The original moratorium was approved on August 19, 2025, and stopped the county from accepting, processing or approving permits for data centers in the unincorporated parts of Freeborn County.

The new resolution extends that moratorium through August 19, 2027.

The county says its current regulations aren’t enough to address the specific impacts of data centers and that allowing the moratorium to expire could threaten public safety and the orderly development of the county.