Iowa grapples with data center expansion, water use; counties enact moratoriums
Iowa farmland is rapidly being acquired for data center development, raising concerns among farmers about water consumption and the state's agricultural identity. Counties like Adair and Madison are actively pursuing moratoriums on data center construction to address these issues and protect natural resources. The article argues that Iowa must choose between being a data center state or maintaining its agricultural heritage.
Barb Kalbach, a fourth-generation Iowa farmer, expresses strong concerns about the rapid expansion of data centers across the state, which she argues is consuming valuable farmland and straining natural resources, particularly water. Kalbach highlights that Iowa's appeal to these corporations lies in its affordable land, inexpensive energy, and extensive fiber optic network, leading to over 100 data centers covering 6,500 acres, equivalent to half the size of Ames.
She points out the immense water consumption of these facilities, citing Microsoft's West Des Moines campus as the city's largest water user, consuming up to 68.5 million gallons annually. Kalbach criticizes Iowa's elected leaders for failing to monitor water reserves, contributing to a looming water crisis evidenced by increasing boil orders and watering bans, exacerbated by agricultural runoff. She suggests this unchecked development aligns with a broader "hollowing out of rural Iowa by corporate greed," as data centers receive tax breaks but create few permanent jobs while depleting resources.
In response, Iowans and their local governments are fighting back. Kalbach notes that counties statewide have begun adopting moratoriums on data center development. She specifically mentions that Adair County, where she resides, is in the process of adopting a moratorium, while neighboring Madison County has already successfully passed its measure. Kalbach urges Iowa's officials to decide whether the state will remain an agricultural hub or become a data center state, advocating firmly for the preservation of farms and rural communities.