Iowa: data centers & your electric bill
As of October 1, 2026, AI GridWatch tracks 21 data center moratoriums or pushback actions in Iowa: 18 in force, 1 proposed, 2 expired, rejected or rescinded. The state has 115 tracked data center facilities using an estimated 3.8 TWh of electricity a year.
Everything GridWatch tracks in Iowa on one page — proposed projects, moratoriums, permits, officials, and the 2026 ballot.
Subscribe by RSS — moratorium changes and community headlines for Iowa.
As of July 2026 (3m ago) · changes over months · Source: U.S. Data Center Power Map by State — ElectricChoice.com compilation (updated July 2026; CC-BY 4.0). Underlying load research: LBNL 2024 US Data Center Energy Usage Report; rates: EIA
Facility counts vary by directory because each one draws the boundary differently — DataCenterMap lists 44 in Alabama where this table says 35, since it counts small network rooms alongside hyperscale campuses. Cite the TWh figure rather than the facility count when you can; it is the number that speaks to grid impact. Underlying load research is LBNL-2001637 (Dec 2024).
1Proposed data centers in Iowa (4)
1 still live · 3 decided or withdrawn. Each name links to the full dossier — ownership, intelligence log, and where to read the paper trail.
| Project | Where | Size | Behind it | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Cedar Rapids | Cedar Rapids | — | In review | Source read 2026-08-14 | |
| QTS Cedar Rapids Data Center Campus | Cedar Rapids (Linn County) | 612 ac | QTS Data Centers | Approved | Source read 2026-08-14 |
| Microsoft Project Osmium | West Des Moines | 190 MW | Microsoft | Under construction | Source read 2026-08-14 |
| Google Council Bluffs (East) | Council Bluffs | 237 MW | Source read 2026-08-14 |
2Pushback already happening in Iowa
| Where | Level | Status | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-05-26 | 12-month pause on permits and zoning requests for data center construction or expansion, passed 2-1 and amended up from 120 days after a unanimous Planning and Zoning Commission recommendation; county will host weekly work sessions and at least four public town halls | SourceNews read 2026-08-13 |
| Linn County | Local | Enactedexpires 2028-01-01 | 18-month pause on large-scale data center rezonings in unincorporated areas, passed 2-1 and effective immediately — adopted even after the county had put an ordinance in place | SourceOfficial read 2026-09-02 |
| Clinton | Local | Rejectedterm not documented | Proposed moratorium rejected 5-2 as QTS considers an AI data center campus north of US-30/west of Mill Creek Parkway; council members argued a pause could send the wrong message to developers. | SourceNews read 2026-08-12 |
| Salix | Local | Rejectedterm not documented | Council voted 3-2 against a 12-month moratorium after Google was identified as the prospective customer. Meeting delayed from Aug 12 due to death threats. 100+ residents debated MidAmerican Energy data center on ~900 acres of annexed farmland | SourceNews read 2026-09-12 |
| Marshalltown | Local | Enactedexpires soon — 2026-11-23 | Ordinance 15123 signed Aug 24; 5-2 vote. Moratorium runs through Nov 23, 2026, extendable up to 60 additional days. Council previously voted down a 6-month moratorium in Jun. | SourceOfficial read 2026-09-11 |
| Johnson County | Local | Enactedexpires soon — 2026-11-08 | 1-year moratorium in unincorporated areas, unanimous. Excludes Iowa City, North Liberty, Coralville. Water/electrical bill concerns | SourceNews read 2026-08-13 |
| Woodbury County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-06-23 | 12-month moratorium in unincorporated areas, 5-0. Does NOT affect Salix, which annexed ~900 acres that MidAmerican Energy confirmed is being considered for a data center | SourceNews read 2026-08-13 |
| Plymouth County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-06-16 | 1-year moratorium on data centers and industrial battery storage, 4-0 (one absent). Revocable or extendable at any time | SourceNews read 2026-08-13 |
| Sioux County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-06-16 | 1-year moratorium on data centers and battery storage in unincorporated areas. PathOne Data Centers considering redeveloping former Bison Renewable Energy property near Hull | SourceNews read 2026-08-13 |
| Ida County | Local | Enactedno fixed end — runs until a condition is met | Indefinite moratorium, unanimous. Supervisors want more information before allowing development | SourceNews read 2026-08-13 |
| Madison County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-07-22 | 1-year moratorium, unanimous | SourceRoundup read 2026-08-13 |
| Shelby County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-07-01 | Moratorium through Jul 2027 while permanent rules are developed | SourceRoundup read 2026-08-13 |
| Clarke County | Local | Enactedno fixed end — runs until a condition is met | Temporary moratorium while permanent rules are developed | SourceRoundup read 2026-08-13 |
| Jefferson County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-08-11 | 12-month moratorium adopted unanimously alongside a new data center ordinance; second and third readings waived so it took effect at once. County attorney recommended 1 year over the 24 months residents asked for, as more likely to survive a legal challenge | SourceNews read 2026-08-23 |
| Emmet County | Local | Enactedexpires 2027-08-25 | One-year moratorium, unanimous, adopted before any data center had been proposed in the county. Board chair Lisa Hansen cited water usage and possible contaminants in returned process water; the year gives planning and zoning time to draft a data center ordinance | SourceNews read 2026-08-30 |
| Mitchell County | County | Enactedexpires 2026-12-31 | Resolution #1336-25; moratorium on data centers until Dec 31, 2026. Voted 4-1 (Frein, Marzen, Hartogh, Wherry yes; Hendrickson nay). | SourceOfficial read 2026-09-06 |
| Taylor County | County | Enactedexpires 2027-07-30 | Ordinance No. 40; 12-month moratorium on data centers, solar, battery storage, and mineral rights developments. | SourceOfficial read 2026-09-06 |
| Dickinson County | County | Enactedexpires soon — 2026-11-12 | 6-month moratorium on data centers, bitcoin, solar/battery; 4-1 vote. | SourceNews read 2026-09-11 |
| Buchanan County | County | Enactedfixed term, end date not recorded | Temporary moratorium on data centers. | SourceNews read 2026-09-11 |
| Peosta | City | Enactedexpires 2026-12-20 | 6-month moratorium on data centers; unanimous vote; Resolution 2026-49. | SourceNews read 2026-09-11 |
| Marshall County | County | Proposedterm not documented | Zoning Commission unanimously recommended 6-month moratorium; Board of Supervisors discussing, work session Sept 29. | SourceNews read 2026-09-11 |
As of August 2026 (2m ago) · changes weekly — re-check before citing
Illustrative rather than exhaustive — dozens of localities churn weekly, and this tracks the ones we have read a source for. **Each row carries its own provenance.** Rows showing a verification date link to the ordinance, the enacting body's own page, or a datable report of the vote, and were read on that date. Rows marked *unverified* came from bulk compilation and have not been checked against a primary source — the locality, the year, and the status may all be off. Verify one of those with the town clerk before citing it as precedent. **Expiry is derived, not asserted.** A row with a documented end date flips to *Expired* on its own once that date passes. A time-limited moratorium whose start date was never documented keeps showing as enacted — that is a known gap, not a claim that it is still in force. Moratoriums are also routinely extended, so an expiry date is the earliest it could have ended, not proof that it did.
3Known data center campuses in Iowa
| Operator | Location | Tenant | Filing LLC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Council Bluffs | Land-acquisition shells: Jet Stream LLC, Sharka LLC | ||
| Meta | Altoona | Meta | Codename shells: Greater Kudu, Raven Northbrook, Stadion, Wobniar, Pinnacle Mountain |
| Microsoft | West Des Moines | Microsoft | Project-name / generic 'Holdings LLC'; less consistently codenamed |
⏳ No verification date recorded · changes over months · Source: Operator ownership & filing-LLC naming patterns — compiled from operator releases and county filings, then checked against SEC EDGAR full-text search. Composite, not a single citation: look the entity up yourself before naming it in a filing
Each row carries its own attribution level — first-party rows come from the operator's own site, but colocation and REIT ownership was compiled from trade press and never passed an independent fact-check. Check the attribution column before citing a row.
4Every data center already built in Iowa
The campuses above are the ones GridWatch tracks by operator and filing LLC. For the full inventory — street addresses of every existing facility, including the smaller colocation and network sites — DataCenterMap keeps a public directory for Iowa.
Two caveats before you cite it at a hearing: it lists facilities that already exist, so a newly proposed campus will not appear; and it counts a small network room the same as a hyperscale campus, so the facility count is not a measure of power draw or community impact.
5Your regulator
Iowa Utilities Commission — website · file a complaint
Official state energy data: EIA Iowa electricity profile — generation, prices, and consumption from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
6Where the Iowa paper trail lives
Air & environmental permits: Iowa DNR — Air Quality Bureau
Searchable register: Iowa DNR document search — a public database you can search by facility or permit number.
Grid interconnection queue: MISO (Midwest & Gulf) · Southwest Power Pool (Plains)
A routing hint only — several states are split between markets, and the serving utility is the only authority on which queue a given site is in.
These are places to look, not evidence that anything has been filed. Links were checked on 2026-08-21; search links are queries, not records.
7Your federal delegation and governor
Grades cross party — this is an issue axis, not a partisan one. A blank grade means no documented action was located, never that the official is neutral.
| Grade | Official | Documented action (sourced) | Reach them |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Kim Reynolds Republican · Governor | No documented action on data centers located | site · contact |
| — | Chuck Grassley Republican · Senator · next on the ballot 2028 | No documented action on data centers located Guardrails Asked about data centers at a June 2026 employee Q&A in Sioux City, Grassley said siting is a state and local decision and Congress is not acting on it. sources | site · contact |
| — | Joni Ernst Republican · Senator · on the 2026 ballot | No documented action on data centers located | site · contact |
| — | Mariannette Miller-Meeks Republican · Representative 1 | No documented action on data centers located | site · contact |
| — | Ashley Hinson Republican · Representative 2 | No documented action on data centers located | site · contact |
| — | Zachary Nunn Republican · Representative 3 | No documented action on data centers located | site · contact |
| — | Randy Feenstra Republican · Representative 4 | No documented action on data centers located | site · contact |
Roster: regenerated by scripts/refresh_officials.py (Senate XML + congress-legislators + current governors).
Write to your senators → Your senators in detail → Full officials scorecard → Find your state legislators →
82026 U.S. Senate race
PVI R+6 · Seat held by Joni Ernst (Republican) · Incumbent retiring
Ashley Hinson (Republican) Accelerate
Emphasises American AI leadership against China; no data-center cost or siting restriction located on the record.
- Emphasised American AI leadership and competition with China; no specific data-center restrictions stated. (2026 — source)
Tech & utility PAC money: $32,000 from 8 committees (FEC, cycle 2026, pulled 2026-08-26) — FEC record
Record read 2026-08-25.
Josh Turek (Democratic) Mixed
Campaigns against “billionaires and large corporations” and has echoed local moratorium sentiment, without a published data-center platform.
- Framed his campaign around opposing billionaires and large corporations and embraced local moratorium sentiment; no detailed data-center platform published. (2026 — source)
Record read 2026-08-25.
Thomas Laehn (Libertarian) No record found
No documented statement or action on data centers located. Not scored — see how this page treats silence.
Ballot roster: state candidate list (read 2026-08-25).
92026 U.S. House races in Iowa (4)
A documented data-center record exists in 2 of 4 districts. A candidate with no badge colour has said nothing we could locate — that is a gap in the record, not a neutral position. ★ marks an incumbent.
| District | PVI | Incumbent | Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|
| IA-1 | R+4 | Mariannette Miller-Meeks | Mariannette Miller-Meeks ★ Christina Bohannan Michael Bridgford |
| IA-2 | R+4 | Ashley Hinson | Joe Mitchell Lindsay James Dave Bushaw Rick Stewart |
| IA-3 | R+2 | Zach Nunn | Zach Nunn ★ Sarah Trone Garriott |
| IA-4 | R+15 | Randy Feenstra | Chris McGowan David Dawson |
The documented records (2 districts)
IA-1
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Republican) · incumbent Consensus vote only
On the record only for voting yes on H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act (417-3). No other data-center record located yet.
- Voted yes on H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed 417-3 (roll call 312). It directs state utility commissions to consider rate designs making data centers with 100 MW or more of peak demand at one site pay the full incremental cost of the generation and grid upgrades they require. A near-unanimous vote: shown on the record, not scored on its own. (2026-09-16 — source)
Record read 2026-09-22.
IA-3
Zach Nunn (Republican) · incumbent Consensus vote only
On the record only for voting yes on H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act (417-3). No other data-center record located yet.
- Voted yes on H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, which passed 417-3 (roll call 312). It directs state utility commissions to consider rate designs making data centers with 100 MW or more of peak demand at one site pay the full incremental cost of the generation and grid upgrades they require. A near-unanimous vote: shown on the record, not scored on its own. (2026-09-16 — source)
Record read 2026-09-22.
10Latest Iowa data center news
A data center was proposed near you?
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State municipal league: Iowa League of Cities