Data centers need energy. Iowa needs nuclear if it plans to keep up

In March of 2019, The Gazette was kind enough to publish my opinion against closure of Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) where I wrote, “The byzantine market structure of today is not serving the public interest of reducing pollution and providing value to electricity consumers.”

As far as I know, there was no public response to my words. Three years later I found several Iowans on social media who were shocked that the facility had already closed. Such is public attention to energy sources which enable electric devices to feed our preference for news, sports, and endless entertainment.

There is a boom in data centers happening now. According to both national news and The Gazette the builders of data centers have an interest in bypassing the confusing grid by having a private line to dependable nuclear plants. There's already one agreement in Pennsylvania, and another is another being considered at the Duane Arnold nuclear plant. Council Bluffs site is enlarging it's data center with a nuclear plant barely an hour's drive away in Nebraska.

Woodbury County is looking to rezone land for a nuclear plant – they don't even have an offer to build! Michigan is reopening one of it's closed plants and California recently reversed a decision to close it's last nuclear plant.

They see this coming trend. Does Eastern Iowa? Industry requires constant energy to build a modern society upon. Iowa needs nuclear – unless we prefer to extend the 20th century a few more decades.

Christopher Bergan

Decorah