A lot has transpired since the first installment of the CBJ’s Energy in Iowa series examined the state’s surging electricity demand — and 2025 proved pivotal in determining how Iowa will meet that unprecedented challenge.
The demand drivers remain clear: Data centers from tech giants like Google and QTS, combined with expanding industrial and agricultural operations, are pushing Iowa’s energy consumption to levels not seen since the 1960s. Projections call for a 30% to 60% increase in electrical load by 2030.
Iowa’s response has been multifaceted. The state leads the nation in renewable energy generation, with wind providing 63% of electricity production. Solar installations saw explosive growth — 554 megawatts added in 2024 alone, representing $706 million in investment. MidAmerican Energy received approval for 800 megawatts of solar generation, the largest in state history, while Alliant Energy announced plans for up to 1,000 megawatts of additional wind capacity.
However, uncertainty arrived when the One Big Beautiful Bill eliminated residential solar tax credits effective Dec. 31, 2025. Solar installers predicted residential installations could plummet by 90% and industry employment could be cut in half. Nearly half of Iowa counties have also enacted restrictive ordinances creating barriers to utility-scale renewable development.
Meanwhile, the push to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center gained momentum as NextEra Energy Resources secured key regulatory approvals. The restart, potentially operational by first quarter 2029, would create 400 permanent jobs and generate more than $340 million in annual economic output.
Through extensive reporting on utilities’ “all-of-the-above” strategies, renewable energy policy upheaval, and nuclear power’s resurgence, the series documented a state navigating between its renewable energy leadership and the practical realities of meeting explosive demand growth.
This update is a part of the CBJ’s Newsmakers edition. This year-end wrap-up from the staff of the Corridor Business Journal is a compilation of the year’s most noteworthy articles and projects, as told through stories that appeared in the bi-weekly issues of the CBJ.
Read the accompanying story, published in June of 2025:
