Alliant Energy looking at ‘multiple potential locations’ for new Eastern Iowa power plant

Following news last week that Alliant Energy is “deprioritizing” construction of a new natural gas fired power plant in Fairfax, the company said it is evaluating its options for siting a new power plant.

While the company has declined to share information about where the plant may be located, a Linn County supervisor this week said she’s been shown a map that indicates one possible site is near her home in far southwest Cedar Rapids.

“We have had meetings with Alliant individually,” Linn County District 1 Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt said of the three supervisors. “They are now looking at unincorporated Linn County to site their very large natural gas plant.”

Running-Marquardt brought the issue up at a board work session Monday, during discussion about a water resources and water balance study that will gather information about Linn County water resources, usage rates and overall availability. She said an inquiry by Google about building a data center near Palo, as well as the possibility of a new natural gas fired power plant — that would use about 360,000 gallons of water per day at its peak — necessitates a water study.

“As we look to make sure a natural gas plant ordinance — and in my conversations with Alliant, they showed me a new map of a suggested site zone, which is literally in my backyard — I have suggested to them, and I will suggest to the data centers as well to find a site that Cedar Rapids, a very population-dense area, and also Fairfax, are not down wind of the pollution from that natural gas plant that it puts out.”

The energy company’s search for a new location to build a natural gas power plant comes after one of the locations it was pursuing — on the south side of Fairfax, adjacent to the Travero plant — was met with push back from residents and the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission.

Alliant announced last week, via a statement, that it is “deprioritizing” the proposed location in Fairfax.

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The airport commission had voiced concern that the height of the stacks from the power plant and the plumes emitted from them would pose a risk to flight safety. Those concerns were supported by a study conducted by a Canadian engineering company that looked at the airport’s proximity to the proposed location.

Some Fairfax residents said they were worried about noise and odor from the plant, as well as the impact it could have on their health and quality of life.

Running-Marquardt said she wants to see a Linn County natural gas power plant ordinance take into consideration “where pollution is going to go,” as well as establish setbacks for residential zones and address the “significant noise and possible light pollution.”

An Alliant Energy spokesperson did not confirm that the company is looking at a new site in unincorporated Linn County, southwest of Cedar Rapids.

“For the sake of finding the most cost-effective site for our customers, we are trying to keep our site selection as confidential as possible,” Taylor Adams, senior communications specialist with Alliant, told The Gazette on Tuesday.

“We are actively evaluating multiple potential locations as part of our site selection process for the proposed combined cycle project. While no final decision has been made, our priority remains identifying a site that delivers long-term value and cost-effectiveness for our customers,” Alliant said in a follow-up statement to The Gazette.

The City of Fairfax is scheduled to host the second of two resident-led town hall discussions this week to answer questions about the project and address concerns. It will be Wednesday, Oct. 8, from 6-8 p.m. at Fairfax City Hall.

A ‘fluid’ timeline

Alliant Energy must have a location selected for the plant before filing a request with the Iowa Utilities Commission.

Previously, Alliant representatives told the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission that they intended to file a request in October to begin the project.

Adams said the company will no longer be filing a request with IUC in October and that Alliant’s current timeline for the project is “fluid.”

“To protect the integrity of this process and avoid influencing market dynamics that could impact project costs, confidentiality is essential at this stage,” an Alliant spokesperson said. “Once a location is selected, we look forward to engaging with the public through the established Iowa Utilities Commission process, which provides several opportunities for input and transparency.”

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