Data centers in Iowa

"When a city plans something big, it should not check driver's licenses at the door."

"Honestly I can't again, we are committed to working with the city of Palo and we are still working with Linn County on some aspects there are some other folks on the team that can answer the specifics"

"These are really complex deals that take a lot of coordination with a lot of different organizations. We have waited until almost groundbreaking in the past. We just released a blog post talking about how we are changing our approach to data center development in direct response to what we are hearing from our communities"

"One of the key things is, we will not use groundwater from any bedrock aquifer such as the Silurian or the Jordan for any cooling operation."

"We do community investments, which definitely means investments in the nonprofits, the schools, etcetera. But more than that, we look to create long term partnerships"

"The city of Palo has an ordinance. They put a bunch of guardrails around what you can do and what the Google folks can't do. They got a very restrictive, very good, sound ordinance in order to make sure that the people living around the facility, those closest and then you folks here, if you're in Palo and certainly kind of beyond that, you're not going to have intrusive noise."

"I think there are things that can change. And then there are things that we will learn about and we will continue to change and mitigate as the construction and the development and the operation just continue to go on."

"This is going to be a journey that we do together. We've pledged to work with your leadership and communities, and we're going to be standing by to address your concerns because we are going to be your neighbor."

"PathOne Data Centers has specifically designed a solution for rural America and we specifically build edge data centers that are designed to look into overlooked communities and design something that can be net positive"

"It is not a pretty picture right now. I think it will become profitable once things settle down a bit and more legislation is put in place to regulate how we handle AI. The big players will no doubt find a way to make it profitable."

Terry Durby used Greene County data center ordinance as model for Winnebago County

Zach Lahn called for no tax incentives for data centers.

McGowan said for data center projects to come to the district, they must pay for their own infrastructure, mitigate light and noise and not adversely impact the price of electricity for local communities.

Rob Sand said local elected officials should not be allowed to sign nondisclosure agreements with companies like data centers.

Jessica Mazour, Conservation Program Associate for Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, called for stronger statewide protections including rate protections, aquifer studies, closed loop cooling requirements, and greater transparency.

Brian Campbell, executive director of Physicians for Social Responsibility, said Google and QTS data center projects combined could require nearly 20 times as much electricity as all residential customers in Cedar Rapids currently use.

State Senator Catelin Drey said data centers should pay for their own electricity usage and take good care of their communities

Christina Bohannan said no data center should come into a community over local opposition and that the decision should belong to locals, not a member of Congress.

Christina Bohannan, Democrat running for Congress in Iowa's 1st District, said no data center should be allowed to come into communities against local opposition, and criticized U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller Meeks for voting for data center tax breaks in the 2025 federal budget law and for a bill easing data center siting and permitting rules.

"This is a perfect example of data centers paying their own way. We're able to sign a long-term contract with a hyperscaler for that project. So none of the costs are being paid by residential customers in Iowa."

Mayor Traer Morgan says the city is being proactive about adopting an ordinance before developers approach

Senator Chuck Grassley blasted Senate Democrats for blocking the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require data centers to bring, buy or build their own energy without passing costs to the community.

The Winnebago Tribal Council has approved a resolution opposing hyperscale data centers on or near its reservation

"It is our desire for the Elk Data Center Project to bring skilled jobs, work for local contractors, and tax revenue to Central City. We're working to show how smaller data centers can fit into communities through careful planning and cooperation with residents."

"The moment this was brought to our attention it was something at a scale beyond a little shed in a backyard, we said, 'No, we are putting a moratorium in place, we need time to collect public input"

Supervisor Jeff Kurtz encourages supervisors to extend the moratorium on data center construction for another year

"I do need to be clear that this is not for permitting a specific project of any kind, but it's essential that we're prepared for anything. If somebody were to knock on the front door and say we're interested in something."

"We're trying to be very mindful of harvest to maximize ultimate participation with the unincorporated area, having a significant number of farmers that are landowners. Their input is very valued and we need them there as well as any other resident of the unincorporated and the other areas of interest."

Supervisors heard concerns about noise and water usage from data centers during the public hearing.

Shane Walter, county zoning director, said the ordinance language is thoughtful and addresses key concerns, describing it as potentially overregulation.

A proposed data center project in Sioux County prompted the June moratorium.

No developers have approached the county with plans to build a data center in Adair County as of the hearing date.

Dave Dawson, Democratic congressional candidate for Iowa's Fourth Congressional District, said decisions about where data centers are built should rest with communities and the federal government should ensure environmental standards are met.

Governor candidate Zach Lahn is considering a state moratorium on new data centers

Bruce Lear, educator from Sioux City, calls for Iowa to regulate data centers at state level modeled on gaming commission with requirements including company payment for grid strengthening and water upgrades, noise reduction, and job guarantees

Governor candidate Rob Sand says lawmakers should approve data center restrictions in January 2027

President Donald Trump said towns that reject data centers risk becoming backwards and poor

Anthropic researchers posted September 8 that AI's capability could conceivably threaten humanity within about four years

Iowa scientists from 31 colleges and universities warn data center boom has increased state energy needs

Scientists warn if companies do not use renewable sources to increase capacity, it could be a fork in the road for Iowa as renewable energy leader

Misty Rebik, advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, stated that the rapid acceleration of artificial intelligence technology is driving data center proliferation.

87% of residents surveyed oppose any data center development in Peosta

Approximately 60% of Peosta residents see no benefit to data center development

Columnist argues that modern data centers use no significant water, produce little noise, do not impact electrical rates, and do not pollute waters.

Joe Monahan, Boone resident, states that data center moratoriums in Iowa redirect billions from AI companies to Elon Musk and competitors, harming U.S. strategic advantage and encouraging alternatives like space based data centers.

Korey Hall, associate professor of pre engineering at Kirkwood, expressed concern about data center energy use and environmental impacts

Approximately 60 residents attended the townhall and the majority expressed opposition to data centers in the county, citing concerns about electricity and water usage, pollution, property devaluation, and noise.

Jacqueline Dowling, assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa, said Iowa faces a fork in the road for rapid generation growth and that renewable and carbon free power have distinct cost advantages.

Iowa researchers say utility decisions now could affect public health and electric bills for years and state should rely on more wind and solar power instead of building new fossil fuel infrastructure

David Courard Hauri, professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability at Drake University, said Iowa utilities should build more renewable energy instead of fossil fuel plants as Iowa scales up electricity generation to fuel the data center boom.

Emma Stapleton Thornell, expert on respiratory effects of air pollution and former research assistant professor at the University of Iowa, said chemical compounds released by coal when burned are particularly harmful to respiratory health and contribute to poor air quality.

186 Iowa scholars issued a statement urging the state to expand renewable energy as it faces data center electricity demand

Nearly 200 scientists from across Iowa signed the 2026 Iowa Climate Statement warning that data centers exacerbate rapid increase in electricity demand.

Dave Courard Hauri, environmental science and sustainability professor at Drake University, moderated the 2026 Iowa Climate Statement press event.

Scientists warn that emissions from burning coal are particularly harmful to respiratory health and trap heat in the atmosphere, and that globally the ten most recent years are the warmest on record.

Iowa GOP gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn proposes requiring data center companies to compensate for a half cut in the state gas tax.

A public hearing on data centers in Jefferson County was held in August, with only two attendees from the unincorporated area

Kathy Dolter, Board of Health Chair, discussed light pollution health impacts including Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes and hypertension

Wayne Kenniker, Supervisor, emphasized the importance of protecting residents from data centers

Democratic candidate Rob Sand issued a standalone policy plan laying out his vision for data centers, calling for transparency, union jobs and setback requirements.

Sand stated Iowans have been getting a raw deal from data centers.

NO Data Center Concert organized by Robbie Bahr held in protest on September 13 from 2 to 10 p.m. at Clinton, Iowa Bandshell

James P. Danly, US deputy secretary of energy, stated restart will return 615MW of reliable baseload generation

Mason City mayor said water use would be part of evaluation if a data center project moves forward, and the city could use treated wastewater rather than drinking water

Free concert and peaceful protest scheduled for Sunday, September 13 from 2 to 10 p.m. at Riverview Bandshell in opposition to data center

Robbie Bahr called for a moratorium of roughly 500 to 600 days to allow additional study and public discussion

Iowa's cancer rates are second worst in the nation by one measure, attributed to increased manure, nitrates, and water pollution from factory farming.

Hugh Espey, retired executive director of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, advocates for a statewide data center moratorium.

Iowa is ranked among the top regions globally for large scale AI data centers, not just nationally but globally.

Doug Krogmeier, Planning & Zoning Director, wrote that ordinance ensures new industrial development does not have infrastructure demands that become burden on existing residents and businesses

Swati Dandekar, chairman of Bright Future Iowa and former Iowa Utilities Board member, states that Iowa should manage data center development with clear rules and community benefits like Google's Council Bluffs Wi Fi investment and Microsoft's Quincy water infrastructure partnership.

Clintonians Against Data Centers raised concerns about displacement of wildlife, local job creation, tax abatement, water usage, and effects on wildlife at the proposed QTS Clinton data center

Google committed to replenishing 120 percent of water it consumes with $1.3 million Missouri River Basin conservation project

Stephen Moore stated data centers are economic engines creating skilled trades jobs and community benefits

Cedar Rapids city council has agreed to incentivize single family home builders and put infrastructure in development areas to address housing shortage caused by data center workers.

Zach Lahn calls for state regulation of data centers

Nicole Crain, Iowa Association of Business and Industry President, said the group is not taking sides on the data center issue at this point

Rob Sand, Democratic candidate for governor, called for a series of changes including public hearings before a data center project can be approved

Rob Sand called for data centers to be responsible for any additional costs in electricity so consumers do not have to pay higher bills

Zach Lahn, Republican nominee for governor from Belle Plaine, told business leaders that he wants a temporary moratorium on data center projects in Iowa

City Council Member Gene Monk voted for a one year moratorium to allow time for community research before making a decision

Mayor Kevin Nelson confirmed that no moratorium was legally in place following the July meeting, and the moratorium failed to pass at both the July and August 20 meetings

The moratorium would have suspended all communication with Google as the tech giant explores constructing a data center on land in Salix

Sioux City Economic and Community Development Director Marty Dougherty said there are no plans for a data center at the site and the label should not have been applied.

Tiffany O'Donnell, Cedar Rapids Mayor, participated in panel discussion on data center issues

NextEra interested in possibility of co locating data centers at Duane Arnold nuclear site for future expansion

Cedar Rapids offered data center companies tax credits; companies pay less than a third of commercial property taxes for the first 20 years

Barbara Solberg, Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, supported ordinance as providing framework for responsible development

Melissa Duffield opposed ordinance, arguing it does not adequately protect the community

QTS announced a five million dollar grant to local organizations including the Iowa Workforce Development Foundation

Grant intended to address labor concerns for data center development