As Alliant Energy continues to evaluate possible Linn County sites for a new natural gas-fired power plant, Linn County leaders say the county needs to develop specific siting regulations for such plants.
During a Board of Supervisors meeting with department heads Tuesday, Linn County Planning and Development director Charlie Nichols said he believes Alliant is “seriously evaluating a location” in unincorporated Linn County for a new gas-fired power plant.
Alliant had previously proposed such a plant on the southeast side of Fairfax, but announced in early October they were “deprioritizing” that site after safety and environmental concerns were raised by Fairfax residents and Eastern Iowa Airport officials.
At an Oct. 6 board meeting, county supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt said that Alliant officials had shown her “a new map of a suggested site zone, which is literally in my backyard,” near the southwest side of Cedar Rapids.
For its part, Alliant officials say they continue to evaluate “multiple sites” for the proposed power plant.
Still, Mr. Nichols said he felt it was important for the county to proactively develop zoning criteria for such a plant, rather than waiting until a site is officially named.
“Currently, gas-fired power plants are allowed with a conditional use permit in our zoning code,” Mr. Nichols said, “but there (are) no specific development regulations around natural gas plants. It’s just a conditional use permit going to the board of adjustment, with no development guidance. So if Alliant is serious about building in Linn County – which I think they are seriously evaluating a location – I think we need to develop some more zoning regulations for gas-fired power plants.”
Mr. Nichols said Alliant has indicated they hope to secure a site for the new plant by the spring or summer of 2026, “so that would give us five or six months of evaluating different zoning code for gas-fired power plants,” Mr. Nichols said.
“We’re still kind of in the beginning stages of that, waiting for more information from Alliant,” he said, “but it does look like we should be evaluating zoning regulations for gas-fired power plants.”
The proposed plant comes as electricity demand continues to surge in Iowa, and nationwide, driven in large part by the development of large-scale data centers. Two such developments are already under way, by Google and QTS, and Google has approached Linn County about the possibility of siting another data center in unincorporated Linn County, near the Duane Arnold Energy Center.
