Data centers and new power in Iowa
15.4 GW of new power is waiting to connect to the grid in Iowa — 80 requests across 21 counties. That is the 33rd largest amount of any state. 44 projects are built, 135 withdrawn. Data as of 14 October 2026.
What is happening with electricity in Iowa
Every new power plant, battery or big customer has to join a waiting list before it can plug into the grid. This is what that list looks like in Iowa right now.
Where every request ever filed here ended up
Most requests in the US are withdrawn — a developer tests a site and moves on. That is normal, not a warning sign for Iowa.
What kind of power is asking to connect
By capacity requested. Data as of 14 October 2026.
All the numbers
259 requests ever filed
Source: the interconnection queues of every transmission provider operating in Iowa. Parsed and normalised by Watt Street. Data as of 14 October 2026. A queued project is a request, not a commitment.
Waiting to connect, by type of power
| Type | Projects | Capacity requested |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 35 | 5.8 GW |
| Wind | 25 | 5.2 GW |
| Natural gas | 13 | 2.6 GW |
| Nuclear | 5 | 1.3 GW |
| Solar + battery | 2 | 513 MW |
Who runs the waiting list in Iowa
Counties in Iowa
21 with power on the waiting list
Every county with at least five requests on file. Open one to check an address, or see the schools near any mapped data center.
| County | Waiting | Capacity queued | Already built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County | 10 | 2.3 GW | 295 MW |
| Cerro Gordo County | 5 | 1.4 GW | 0 MW |
| Washington County | 3 | 1.1 GW | 0 MW |
| Marshall County | 4 | 717 MW | 0 MW |
| Clinton County | 3 | 610 MW | 600 MW |
| Franklin County | 3 | 560 MW | 0 MW |
| Story County | 3 | 550 MW | 0 MW |
| Webster County | 2 | 470 MW | 0 MW |
| Muscatine County | 3 | 329 MW | 250 MW |
| Dubuque County | 2 | 260 MW | 0 MW |
| Worth County | 1 | 230 MW | 545 MW |
| Palo Alto County | 1 | 200 MW | 450 MW |
| Pottawattamie County | 1 | 200 MW | 0 MW |
| Pocahontas County | 1 | 156 MW | 7 MW |
| Howard County | 1 | 155 MW | 220 MW |
| Tama County | 1 | 100 MW | 169 MW |
| Clay County | 0 | 0 MW | 45 MW |
| Crawford County | 0 | 0 MW | 6 MW |
| Des Moines County | 0 | 0 MW | 50 MW |
| Hancock County | 0 | 0 MW | 0 MW |
| Mills County | 0 | 0 MW | 50 MW |
Key dates for projects here
1 dated · next closes 2027-09-10 (MISO)
| Queue | What closes | Closes | Standing |
|---|---|---|---|
| MISO | MISO DPP-2026 Definitive Planning Phase application deadline Attachment X of the tariff and BPM-015. | 2027-09-10 | confirmed source |
| PJM | Dominion GS-5 (Virginia SCC PUR-2025-00058) - ESAs signed on or after this date carry the 14-year term From this date the GS-5 large-load tariff carries a 14-year minimum term, alongside the reported 85% of contracted transmission demand minimum and $1… | No date published yet | disputed source |
| FERC | FERC large-load show cause — stakeholder comments on RTO responses Comments on the six RTO/ISO responses to the FPA section 206 show-cause orders of 18 June 2026 (PJM EL26-67, SPP EL26-68, NYISO EL26-69, MISO EL26-70… | No date published yet | unconfirmed source |
| FERC | FERC RM26-4 — generic large-load rulemaking Still at ANOPR stage. | No date published yet | confirmed source |
| FERC | Georgia PSC - Georgia Power must file large-load contracts 30 days before execution A standing obligation rather than a dated one: large-load contracts must be filed with the commission at least 30 days before they are executed. | No date published yet | confirmed source |
| SPP | SPP 2028 CPP Interconnection Cluster Study (ICS) application window Definitive Interconnection System Impact Study cluster, post Order 2023 compliance. | No date published yet | confirmed source |
A date marked confirmed was checked by a person against the authority's own tariff, order or form page. Anything else is listed so you know it exists, with a link so you can check it yourself. Full calendar.
Data center campuses recorded in Iowa
4 listed
| Campus | Operator | Reported demand |
|---|---|---|
| Google Council Bluffs (East) | 237 MW | |
| Microsoft Project Osmium | Microsoft | 190 MW |
| Google Cedar Rapids | 0 MW | |
| QTS Cedar Rapids | 0 MW |
Tagged as a data center by our classification, not by the operator’s own statement. Only campuses with coordinates can be mapped.
Live in Iowa?
Check how far the nearest large data center is from your own address. Free, and your address is not stored.