Electricity demand in Iowa is growing like never before, and a study says that’s largely due to the proliferation of data centers for A-I and cloud computing. The 16th annual Iowa Climate Statement is being released by a group of more than 180 scientists and sustainability scholars from 31 Iowa colleges, universities and other institutions. Dave Courard-Hauri (CORD HOW-ree), a professor of environmental science and sustainability at Drake University, says this is a critical time to think carefully about the state’s energy future.
Jacqueline Dowling, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iowa, says the state’s being confronted with an exponential increase in the thirst for more power.
She says Iowa utilities are taking an “all of the above” approach in trying to meet escalating demand, including investing in wind and solar, working to restart the state’s only nuclear plant, while also building new gas-fueled plants and ramping up the use of existing coal-fired facilities.
Iowa leads the nation in wind and solar power generation, as they account for 60-percent of the state’s electricity, and Dowling says Iowa is reaping multiple benefits.
While nuclear power has pros and cons, Dowling says that avenue is carbon-free and she adds, plans to restart the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo (PAY-low) may be less expensive than building a completely new nuclear facility. Plus, she says the carbon and air pollution benefits of nuclear energy are significantly better than coal.
