Alliant Energy has filed a rezoning application with Linn County for its proposed Morgan Valley Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power plant planned near the intersection of U.S. 30 and Benton-Linn Road west of Cedar Rapids.
The application requests rezoning of about 160 acres from Agricultural to Exclusive Use-2, a designation required under Linn County’s development code for gas-fired electric generating facilities. The proposed plant would consist of three natural gas combustion turbines with a combined capacity of about 720 megawatts. Alliant said the facility itself would occupy about 55 acres of the 160-acre site, with the remainder expected to be restored to agricultural use once the plant is operating.
“The submission of our zoning application reflects the next step in what is a thorough review process from multiple regulating entities,” said May Farlinger, president of Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company, in a statement. “Our application includes detailed information about the proposed project, including site planning, infrastructure needs and economic impacts. We remain committed to engaging with the community and participating fully in the county’s review process.”
Alliant submitted an independent economic impact analysis alongside the Morgan Valley Energy Center application, estimating the project could create about 200 jobs in Linn County and generate nearly $90 million in local economic output during construction, along with more than $24 million in local tax revenue over the life of the facility. The company said it anticipates opportunities for local contractors and suppliers and is committed to using qualified union labor “whenever possible” during construction.
The rezoning request is separate from the project’s air permitting application, which Alliant expects to submit to Linn County Public Health within the next week. That application will include air modeling results and technical analyses and will be posted on the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ EASY Air System for public review. Alliant said it expects technical review of the air permit to wrap up in early 2027, followed by a public comment period.
“Guided by our values and commitment to environmental stewardship, we approach every project with a focus on safety, compliance and accountability,” Ms. Farlinger said. “Alliant Energy has decades of experience constructing and operating generating facilities while meeting stringent environmental standards and regulatory requirements, and we look forward to demonstrating this fact through the review process.”
Linn County will review the rezoning application over the coming months through a process that includes opportunities for public input before the Planning and Zoning Commission and Board of Supervisors.
Opposition continues to build
The rezoning filing comes as opposition to the project has grown steadily since Alliant first announced plans for the site earlier this year. Save Morgan Valley, a grassroots group formed shortly after the announcement, describes itself as a community organization advocating for the protection of rural communities, public health, farmland, natural resources and wildlife.
The group has organized petition drives in Atkins, Cedar Rapids, Fairfax and other communities in Linn and Benton counties, collecting more than 1,000 signatures opposing the plant, and has filed comments as part of more than 200 filings logged in the Iowa Utilities Commission’s docket for the project. Members have also spoken at Linn County Board of Supervisors meetings and hosted a town hall in Fairfax.
Save Morgan Valley organizers have raised concerns about air quality, water use, property values and transparency from Alliant during the review process. Abe Kellison, a member of the group, has said he believes the plant is intended to supply power to data centers rather than to meet broader system needs.
“We all know that it’s for the data centers,” Mr. Kellison told the Corridor Business Journal. “Everyone can connect the dots.”
Group members have also pointed to a data center corridor some local officials say has been proposed near the plant site. Some Linn County supervisors have pressed Alliant on the issue as well; Board of Supervisors member Kirsten Running-Marquardt asked an Alliant representative during a June information session whether the company would consider serving Cedar Rapids-area data center customers with renewable energy instead of the proposed gas plant.
Alliant has said the project is intended to support long-term energy security and reliability for its broader customer base, rather than any specific end user.
Elected officials in Fairfax, Atkins and Benton County have also raised objections to the plant’s proposed location, and the three have filed petitions to intervene in the Iowa Utilities Commission review, arguing they should have a formal voice in the approval process even though final authority over the site rests with Linn County and the state.
Alliant’s air permit application is expected to be reviewed separately from the rezoning process, with a public hearing anticipated once a draft permit is available.
