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Iowa Data Center Intel
Latest data center news, projects, power and policy across Iowa — updated daily.
Iowa · Construction & power moves · 2
full tracker →Land, power, and interconnection moves across Iowa — each traced to primary filings.
Top JUST IN — Iowa
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CAR Resource Accreditation Modeling IA – Directional Design Information
Source: ISO-NEISO-NE’s CAR-SA Resource Accreditation Modeling IA says the capacity auction reform has a proposed effective date of Q2 2027 and is still moving through final design, tariff review, amendments, and a FERC filing. The ISO says it is “providing an Impact Analysis (IA)” of the CAR proposal, and notes the proposed load-weighting approach would make net ICR “approximately 280 MW (MCap) lower” in winter under FirstLight’s approach.
Backed by 1 primary filing — sign in or book a call to see all sources.
Recent Iowa data center news
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Data Center Jobs: Engineering, Construction, Commissioning, Sales, Field Service and Facility Tech Jobs Available in Major Data Center Hotspots
Data Center Frontier, in partnership with Pkaza, posted a monthly roundup of active data center job openings on the Pkaza jobs board.
- Main announcement: Data Center Frontier and Pkaza published a list of open roles (examples: Data Center Facility Technician, Electrical Commissioning Engineer, Construction Project Manager, Electrical Engineer, Critical Power Sales Associate, Sr Mechanical Engineer, Site Selection Manager/Director/VP, Electrical Project Manager, MEP Superintendent, Mechanical Commissioning Engineer, Engineering Design Director, Navy Nuke Facility Technician) posted on Pkaza’s jobs board; positions are available across many US cities including Ashburn, VA; Atlanta, GA; Dallas, TX; Chicago, IL; New York, NY; Montvale, NJ; Austin, TX; Charlotte, NC; New Albany, OH; Phoenix, AZ.
- Background and details: Roles are for mission-critical data center employers (developers, colo providers, contractors, commissioning firms) and frequently emphasize reliability, energy efficiency, sustainable design / LEED expertise and commissioning; some listings explicitly accept Navy Nuke / military veterans and many positions list multiple alternative locations or hybrid/remote options. Author: Kathy Hitchens (Data Center Frontier).
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The Five Types of Electro-Industrial States
Rocky Mountain Institute presents a typology classifying US states into five electro-industrial archetypes.
- Main announcement/action: RMI authors classify states into five archetypes — Momentum Hubs (Arizona, California), Fast‑Track Builders (Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Ohio, Idaho), Policy Champions (New York, Michigan, Virginia, Oregon, Washington, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania), Open‑Door Starters (Vermont, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, Mississippi, Iowa), and Early‑Stage Starters (Missouri, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Maine, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana, West Virginia, Montana, Arkansas). The typology is based on policy reliability, regulatory ease, economic capacity, physical infrastructure (power and interconnection), and market momentum.
- Background and details: The analysis highlights that market momentum and policy reliability should operate in tandem; low regulatory burdens accelerate short-term investment but may strain local housing and infrastructure without accompanying policy ambition. The authors reference the report GREASE Lightning as a policy playbook for designing investment-led, state-driven electro-industrial strategies.
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Meta announces $1 billion Data Center Investment in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Project
Meta announced a major investment to build an AI-optimized data center campus in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, located in Alliant Energy’s Beaver Dam Commerce Park and expected to come online in 2027.
- Project details and commitments: Meta will invest more than $1 billion to build an AI-optimized data center campus spanning over 700,000 square feet with operational buildings targeting LEED Gold; the site is expected online in 2027, will support more than 1,000 skilled trade jobs at peak construction and 100+ operational jobs, and Meta will match the site’s electricity use with 100% clean and renewable energy while underwriting nearly $200 million in energy infrastructure (network upgrades, utility substations, transmission lines).
- Background, timelines and environmental actions: Over the next ten years, Meta will donate $15 million to Alliant Energy’s Hometown Care Energy Fund; the facility will use dry cooling (no water demands for cooling when operational) and Meta will restore 100% of water consumed by the Beaver Dam site to local watersheds; the project includes restoration of 570 acres of wetland and prairie (with 175 acres deeded to Ducks Unlimited). The site is in Alliant Energy’s largest certified commerce park, designated a WEDC certified site in 2019.
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Alliant Energy Announces Third Quarter 2025 Results and 2026 Guidance
Alliant Energy announced third-quarter 2025 financial results, narrowed 2025 ongoing EPS guidance, issued 2026 EPS guidance, raised its 2026 dividend target, and increased projected capital expenditures to serve new large data-center demand.
Quarterly results & guidance: Reported GAAP EPS $1.09 and ongoing (non‑GAAP) EPS $1.12 for Q3 2025; narrowed 2025 ongoing EPS guidance to $3.17 - $3.23 and provided 2026 ongoing EPS guidance of $3.36 - $3.46. 2026 annual common dividend target increased to $2.14 per share. Conference call scheduled Nov 7, 2025 at 9 a.m. CT hosted by Lisa Barton and Robert Durian (dial 800-549-8228 or 646-564-2877; webcast at www.alliantenergy.com/investors).
Load, capital and adjustments: Utilities IPL and WPL now have 3 GW of contracted data-center demand including a newly executed 900 MW ESA for QTS Madison; Alliant expects peak energy demand to grow ~50% by 2030. To serve expected load while maintaining reliability, Alliant increased its 2026–2029 forecasted capital expenditures to $13.4 billion and provided detailed annual capex plans (2025–2029 in millions). Non‑GAAP adjustment: $8 million state income tax apportionment charge (equivalent to $0.03 EPS).
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Alliant Energy announces third quarter 2025 results and 2026 guidance
Alliant Energy Corporation announced third quarter 2025 results and provided 2026 guidance.
- Main announcement: Alliant Energy narrowed 2025 ongoing earnings guidance to $3.17 - $3.23 per share, announced 2026 earnings guidance of $3.36 - $3.46 per share (a 6.6% increase over 2025), and set a 2026 annual common stock dividend target of $2.14 per share (a 5.4% increase over 2025). The company also increased contracted data center demand to 3 GW (a 50% increase in peak load demand by 2030) and increased its 4-year capital expenditure forecast by 17% to $13.4 billion.
- Background and details: Alliant Energy is a regulated energy provider serving approximately 1 million electric and 430,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin through its utilities Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL). The release includes an investor link to the full news release and media contact information (Iowa phone: (319) 786-4040; Wisconsin phone: (608) 458-4040; email: alliantenergynews@alliantenergy.com).
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Google Has Deal With NextEra to Restart Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant
NextEra Energy announced Google has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement that enables NextEra to restart the 615-MW Duane Arnold Energy Center and NextEra has agreed to acquire CIPCO and Corn Belt’s combined 30% interest to become the plant’s sole owner.
- Main announcement: NextEra and Google signed a 25-year PPA for power from the 615-MW Duane Arnold Energy Center; NextEra said the contract “enables the investment to restart the plant and covers costs for the production of energy from Duane Arnold.” NextEra expects the plant could be operational as soon as early 2029, and CIPCO will buy output under the same contract terms as Google.
- Background and details: NextEra agreed to acquire Central Iowa Power Cooperative and Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s combined 30% interest to assume full ownership; Google noted a recent $7-billion investment in Iowa and said the restart supports its cloud and AI infrastructure in the state. NextEra stated it is coordinating with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and local authorities and has nearly 3 GW of projects executed with Google nationwide.
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Our new agreement with NextEra Energy will bring Iowa’s only nuclear plant back to life.
Google announced a collaboration with NextEra Energy to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Iowa.
- Main action: Google and NextEra Energy will restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center (Iowa’s only nuclear plant); the company expects the plant to be back online in early 2029, providing more than 600 MW of clean, safe, “always-on” nuclear energy to the regional grid, and Google says it will enable the investment to restart the plant and cover production costs.
- Background/details: The announcement frames restarting a once fully operational plant as the fastest near-term path to scale nuclear capacity to meet AI and cloud infrastructure growth in Iowa; the post also references Google work on advancing new clean generation, flexible demand, and next-generation transmission partnerships (links to Google sustainability and blog posts provided).
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Why This Summer’s Heat Proved the Case for a Smarter Grid
Marcus Krembs of Enel North America argues that smarter, flexible grid resources and rapid deployment of renewables, storage, and demand response helped the U.S. grid avoid major blackouts during the extreme Summer 2025 heat, and that faster transformation is required.
- Main announcement/action: The commentary states that renewables, storage, and demand response materially improved grid resilience during Summer 2025 — citing 44% renewable supply through the first seven months of 2025, 13.5 GW of new renewable generation in Texas that reduced ERCOT blackout risk from 11% to <1%, and projected demand-response dispatches (from 411 last summer to a projected 720 dispatches this year). It calls for accelerated interconnection reform, more transmission, and scaled storage to meet rising demand.
- Background and details: Provides supporting facts: fossil-fuel generation reached 290 TWh (nine-year high), PJM reduced load by >4,000 MW during extreme peaks using demand response, and the Department of Energy projects data center electricity demand could reach 12% of U.S. consumption by 2028. Mentions specific partnerships/agreements: Google signed demand response agreements with Indiana Michigan Power and Tennessee Power Authority for its AI data centers.
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New Data Center Developments: September 2025
DataCenterKnowledge published a curated roundup of recent global data center project announcements and large power and financing deals.
- Key development summary: The roundup details multiple major projects and deals, including Equinix’s new partnerships with Radiant, ULC-Energy, and Stellaria for next-gen nuclear power and expanded solid-oxide fuel cell use with Bloom Energy; Caterpillar agreed with Joule Capital Partners to provide 4 GW of CHP power for a planned Utah campus (target launch sometime next year); Meta’s Hyperion Louisiana campus is expected to consume up to 5 GW; CoreWeave bought a 102-acre campus for $322 million; Vantage revealed plans to invest over $25 billion in a 1.4 GW / 1,200-acre Texas campus; EdgeConneX and Lambda are developing a 30+ MW dual-city AI data center in Chicago and Atlanta; Oracle / Elea / Rio de Janeiro target 1.5 GW by 2027 (expandable to 3.2 GW by 2032) for ‘Rio AI City’.
- Background and technical/financial details: The article frames projects against record-breaking demand and grid limitations; it notes energy and cooling approaches such as CHP and captured waste heat, solid-oxide fuel cells, high-voltage battery storage, and CDC Australia’s proposed 200 MW campus with a closed-loop zero-water primary cooling system. It also lists financing and deal figures: QTS announcing a $10 billion campus, STACK investing $1.66 billion in Johor, NEXTDC adding A$3.5 billion new debt within A$6.4 billion total facilities, and Keppel raising $4.9 billion this year toward a $150 billion funds target by 2030.
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Data center vacancies plummet amid power supply constraints