Iowa scientists push wind, solar, and batteries as data center demand grows

Scientists urge Iowa to choose renewable energy

More than 180 Iowa scientists and sustainability scholars urged wider use of wind, solar, and batteries as growing electricity demand creates new challenges for energy planning across the state.

The 2026 Iowa Climate Statement presented a choice between expanding renewable generation and building additional fossil-fuel plants as the state prepares for larger electricity needs across the coming decades.

Data centers drive new demand

The statement says data centers used primarily for artificial intelligence are driving much of Iowa’s rising electricity demand as more large facilities expand across local communities and counties.

It also identifies growing electrification of buildings, industry, and transportation, while regional forecasts show large-load growth reshaping electricity planning across the Midwest over roughly the next two decades.

MISO raises growth forecast

The Midcontinent Independent System Operator found regional electricity demand remained relatively flat from 2009 through 2024 before rapidly growing large loads changed its long-term planning outlook substantially for utilities.

MISO’s 2026 forecast uses 2.0% annual growth for its current coincident-peak trajectory, replacing the 1.6% rate published in its earlier 2024 long-term load forecast for regional planning work.

Iowa’s renewable base

Iowa adopted renewable-energy policies decades ago that encouraged wind development, helping the state build a large renewable share of its electricity generation mix as solar capacity later expanded.

Wind produced about 63% of Iowa’s electricity generation in 2024, while solar supplied a smaller but growing share as additional utility-scale projects entered service across the broader system.

Coal use rises again

The Iowa Environmental Council found coal’s share of electricity generation increased in 2025 for the first time in several years, reversing part of that earlier downward trend in use.

The council called for more wind, solar, and storage, while supporting carbon-free electricity by 2035 as part of its broader long-term goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Utilities balance competing needs

Utilities have continued adding solar and wind projects while emphasizing that resource planning must balance reliability, customer costs, sustainability, and operating requirements as electricity demand continues to rise.

Utility planning also involves generation capacity, transmission constraints, customer rates, and cost allocation for large new loads, including data centers seeking substantial electricity service throughout Iowa utility territories.

Fun fact: Solar power accounted for nearly 40% of the new electricity-generating capacity added across the United States in the first quarter of 2020.

Storage supports renewable power

The climate statement emphasizes renewable generation and energy storage, noting that Iowa receives plentiful summer sunshine while winter brings abundant wind, allowing those resources to complement one another.

Battery systems can store electricity when renewable output is abundant and return power during higher-demand periods, adding flexibility to grids with growing wind and solar generation over time.

Little-known fact: Wind power overtook hydroelectric power in 2019 and became the largest source of renewable electricity generation across the United States.

Linn County faces siting questions

The climate statement identified Linn County, where four data center buildings were under construction, and another 17 remained in the planning process when the document was released publicly.

Local data center rules followed discussions involving water use, noise, placement, setbacks, traffic, and other land-use effects associated with proposed large facilities during Linn County’s public review.

Nuclear restart remains planned

The U.S. Department of Energy closed a loan of up to $1.9 billion to help NextEra Energy finance the planned Duane Arnold restart project in Linn County, Iowa.

Google has a 25-year agreement for most of the plant’s output, while operation is targeted for early 2029, pending required regulatory approvals before the facility resumes commercial service.

Gas projects remain in different stages

Alliant Energy received final Bobcat Energy Center permits while planning gas-fired facilities, including Morgan Valley, for peak-demand periods and growing load obligations across Iowa electric service areas and communities.

Iowa Business for Clean Energy questioned whether planned facilities and large-customer agreements could shift costs to other ratepayers if expected data center demand does not fully materialize as projected.

Firm power can cover gaps

Jacqueline Dowling, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iowa, described nuclear power as reliable carbon-free generation with trade-offs that energy planners must consider.

Dowling said the group would advocate for a wind-and-solar-dominated system backed by reliable carbon-free power that can fill gaps when renewable output falls during lower-production periods in Iowa.

Energy decisions involve many groups

The statement addresses residents, technology industry leaders, local elected officials, and utility executives, identifying groups involved in decisions about rising electricity demand and power needs across Iowa communities.

Local zoning, utility rate structures, large-customer contracts, and regulatory reviews influence how data centers and new generation projects proceed across Iowa communities, service territories, and local government jurisdictions.

Want to read more about the latest developments? Check out how a North Dakota solar project could add battery storage and a data center near Fargo.

Annual statements shift focus

The 2026 statement followed a 2025 statement focused on rising insurance costs and a 2024 statement encouraging individual actions to address climate change and reduce anxiety among Iowans.

The latest statement concluded by urging further wind and solar investment, arguing that those resources would provide less expensive electricity and better health for future generations in Iowa.

Want to stay ahead of the news? Check out why America’s $4 billion wind rollback is reshaping energy investment as cheap natural gas gains ground again.

What stands out more, Iowa scientists backing wind, solar, and batteries, or the rising power demands from data centers? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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