Could a New Power Plant Be Built in Eastern Iowa?

No one wants a power plant in their backyard. Residents of Fairfax made that known, and now, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette, Alliant Energy has 'deprioritized' building a new natural gas power plant near the Linn County town. Now, the company says it is expanding its search in Eastern Iowa.

Where Might a New Power Plant Be Built?

The Gazette reports that Alliant Energy has declined to share information about where the plant might be located. However, Linn County Supervisor Kirsten Running-Marquardt told the Gazette that one potential site is actually near her house on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids. She went on to state that "They are now looking at unincorporated Linn County to site their very large natural gas plant."

The First Proposed Location Was Met With Criticism

Alliant Energy had proposed a new power plant location on the south side of Fairfax, adjacent to the Travero plant. The Gazette reports that the location was met with pushback from residents as well as the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission, who had concerns about the height of the smoke stacks and the plumes emitted from them.

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What Will Alliant Energy Do Next?

The Gazette reports that before filing a request with the Iowa Utilities Commission, Alliant must pick a site for the new plant. Alliant reps previously had said they would file that request during the month of October. However, the Gazette reports that Alliant will no longer file with the IUC this month, and that the timeline for the new power plant is "fluid".