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Alliant says it is ‘deprioritizing’ Fairfax location for proposed natural gas power plant
The announcement comes as the City of Fairfax has been considering amending its zoning code to allow a plant in city limits
Oct. 2, 2025 1:56 pm, Updated: Oct. 2, 2025 4:13 pm
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FAIRFAX — Alliant Energy, which has been exploring building a new natural gas-fired power plant in Fairfax — a proposal that was met with resistance from some local residents and officials at the nearby Eastern Iowa Airport — said in a statement to the city that it is “deprioritizing” the Fairfax location.
The news came via a statement from the company that was read aloud near the end of the first of two information town hall meetings being held in Fairfax this month.
“We appreciate the invitation to participate in the town hall series regarding our proposed combined cycle project. While Alliant Energy has not selected a site for the proposed project, we are deprioritizing the original Fairfax location at this time,” wrote Emily Kaiser, Alliant’s manager of community development. “We continue to evaluate the other viable sites in the region through our site selection process.”
Alliant has not said where those other sites are located, or why the Fairfax location — adjacent to the Travero plant on the south side of the city — was being deprioritized.
The announcement comes as the Fairfax City Council has been working its way through adoption of an ordinance that would create a zoning code exception to allow for construction of a power plant.
Residents at a recent city council meeting pushed back against the plant’s proposed location, citing concerns about potential health impacts of the plant, noise and odors, and quality of life issues.
The Fairfax City Council, which passed the first of three readings of the proposed ordinance in a vote of 3-2 last month, has not ruled out allowing the plant in the city for economic development reasons but also has not taken a formal stance on the plant.
The Cedar Rapids Airport Commission, which operates The Eastern Iowa Airport, also has voiced opposition to the location of the proposed project, citing concerns about the height of stacks on the facility that would emit plumes. The commission has said the plumes could impact pilot visibility and affect aircraft safety.
The proposed location in Fairfax also would construct the plant four miles from the end of the airport’s main runway, less than three miles from the current secondary runway and less than two miles from a proposed future third runway.
The airport commissioned a third-party study looking at the potential impacts of a power plant on airport operations if it were built at the Fairfax location. The study, which was completed by Canadian engineering services company AtkinsRéalis and cost about $67,000, found that the plant would cause “concerns for airport safety and regulatory compliance.”
“The proposed utility plant does not meet several local and federal requirements, raising concerns for airport safety and regulatory compliance,” AtkinsRéalis stated in its report.
Public health, DNR officials attend town hall meeting
The Fairfax town hall meeting on Wednesday was a citizen-led informational session that included representatives from Linn County Public Health and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who answered questions and addressed concerns from residents.
Jeff Hintz, Fairfax resident who helped lead the town hall, shared a document from the city that listed possible benefits the city could see if Alliant’s plant were built at the Fairfax location.
Fairfax officials said the possible benefits could include:
- Alliant Energy’s continued financial assistance in growing Fairfax city infrastructure;
- Tax revenue generated by the plant, estimated at $350,000 annually;
- Having a long-term industrial partnership with a “stable, respected and well-known municipal partner”;
- Annual donations by Alliant Energy of $5,000 to $10,000 to support events, sports teams and the Fairfax Fire Department; and
- Estimated water and sewer revenue of $30,000 to $35,000 monthly from the plant.
Hintz also said the plant would be the “most technologically advanced plant in the Midwest.”
Wednesday’s meeting included two city council members, along with members of the Planning and Zoning Commission.
A second town hall meeting will be held Oct. 8 at Fairfax City Hall, 300 80th St. Court, from 6 to 8 p.m. Both meetings will be recorded and posted to the City of Fairfax’s YouTube channel for later viewing.
Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. She is also a contributing writer for the Ag and Water Desk, an independent journalism collaborative focusing on the Mississippi River Basin.
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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com
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