Iowa State Profile
Last Updated: 9/15/26 — Updated Monthly
STATE OF PLAY
As of July 2026, Iowa ranked 12th in the nation for clean energy deployment, with over 14 GW of operating clean energy capacity, and ranked as the second-largest wind power producer in the U.S. in 2024. The clean energy industry employs over 33,000 workers in the state, an increase of over 16% since 2020. Iowa is also home to 130 planned or operating data centers, one of the largest concentrations in the Midwest, and data centers accounted for nearly 12% of the state’s total electricity consumption in 2023. Despite Iowa’s strong clean energy economy, Trump and Republicans have threatened the loss of 7.4 GW of new energy generation needed to meet rising demand and their policies have led to energy costs increasing by 33%.
| Key 2026 Races | ||||
| IA-GOV | IA-SEN | IA-01 | IA-02 | IA-03 |
ENERGY BREAKDOWN
- In 2024, two-thirds of Iowa’s total electricity net generation came from renewable resources, with wind energy powering 63% of net generation.
- In 2024, Iowa was the second-largest wind power producer in the nation.
- As of July 2026, Iowa was home to 14.4 GW of operating clean energy capacity, ranking 12th in the country for clean energy deployment.
- As of July 2026, an additional 1.03 GW was planned, enough clean energy to power an estimated more than 269,000 homes.
- As of June 2026, Iowa’s average residential electricity was 15.93 cents/kWh, up 4% from the year prior.
- Average electricity costs in Iowa are up 33% since Trump took office.
- Since 2025, at least five Iowa utilities have enacted or proposed more than $123 million in rate hikes, affecting more than 35,000 electricity customers and 616,000 gas customers.
- The OBBBA was projected to increase household energy costs in Iowa by $100 by 2030 and $350 by 2035.
- As of August 2026, Iowa was home to 130 planned or operating data centers, one of the largest concentrations in the Midwest. In 2023, data centers accounted for 11.43% of the state’s total electricity consumption.
- The OBBBA was projected to cause a loss of 7.4 GW of generation capacity in Iowa, threatening grid reliability and higher costs as energy demand rises.
CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS & JOBS
- Seven new clean energy projects have been announced since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, and private companies have announced plans to create 1,402 new clean energy jobs in the state since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.
- In 2024, Iowa’s clean energy industry employed 33,610 people, an over 16% increase from 2020.
| Clean Energy Projects Announced Since IRA Passage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project | Summary | Projected Jobs | Investment | Project Status |
| Nordex Group Nacelle Manufacturing Facility | In July 2024, the Nordex Group announced it would restart production at its West Branch manufacturing facility. The facility will produce nacelles and other wind turbine components specifically designed to meet the IRA’s domestic input and manufacturing requirements and qualify for the law’s tax credits. | 100 | – | Announced |
| Siemens Gamesa Fort Madison Wind Turbine Production | In December 2022, Siemens Gamesa reopened a previously closed wind turbine manufacturing plant in Fort Madison. The President and CEO of the Lee County Economic Development Group said reopening the plant was made possible, in part, by the IRA. | 250 | – | Operational |
| TPI Composites Wind Turbine Manufacturing Plant | In November 2022, TPI Composites announced it would reopen its Iowa wind turbine blade manufacturing plant. The plant closed in 2021 due to uncertainty over wind energy tax credits. Following tax credit certainty provided by the IRA, the factory is expected to reopen in the second quarter of 2025 and fully restore its 750-person workforce. | 750 | – | Announced |
| Regen Wind Turbine Recycling Facility | In June 2024, Regen Fiber opened a wind turbine blade recycling facility in Fairfax. The facility can process more than 30,000 tons of blades per year. The recycled materials are used to increase the durability of concrete and asphalt. | – | – | Operational |
| Generation Repair and Service Facility Expansion | In November 2024, Generation Repair and Service announced plans to expand its wind turbine facility in Story City. Generation Repair and Service invested $17 million in the expansion and received $481,500 in Iowa Economic Development Authority-approved tax benefits. | 2 | $17 million | Announced |
| Alliant Energy Wind Generation Expansion | In July 2025, Alliant Energy announced plans to add up to 1,000 megawatts of wind generation in Iowa. The $3 billion investment was expected to support the construction of over 350 wind turbines, which could provide enough power for over 350,000 homes. Alliant planned to complete the project by 2030. | – | $3 billion | Announced |
| Rock Creek Energy Center | In August 2025, NextEra Energy broke ground on the Rock Creek Energy Center in Clinton County, Iowa. The solar farm was expected to generate up to 150 megawatts of solar energy, enough to power 30,000 homes. NextEra invested $320 million in the project, which was expected to generate at least $11 million in local tax revenue. The Rock Creek Energy Center was expected to be operational as early as December 2026. | 300 | $320 million | Announced |
Other projects in the state, started before the Inflation Reduction Act:
| Project or Company Name | Project Details | Project Status |
|---|---|---|
| SEA Electric EV Assembly | SEA Electric’s Grimes, Iowa, production facility has been operating since 2019 and employs over 25 people. | Operating |
| Arcosa Onshore Wind Towers Manufacturing Facility | Arcosa’s Newton, Iowa, wind tower manufacturing facility began operations in 2008 and is one of the company’s largest capacity plants. The facility employs 125 people. | Operating |
| Clipper Wind Hub Assembly | Clipper Wind has been operating in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, since 2006 and employs between 500-1000 people. The facility provides refurbishment services and maintains a line of wind turbine service parts. | Operating |
| NSK Clarinda Plant | NSK’s Clarinda, Iowa, ball bearing manufacturing plant opened in 1975 and has expanded operations 16 times. It employs 175 people. | Operating |
| Atlas Molded Products Manufacturing Facility | Atlas’ Washington, Iowa facility employs 100 people, and is a polystyrene company that makes foam products for architectural functions, protective and cold chain packaging, and several other uses. | Operating |
| Mason City Recycling Center | Mason City Recycling Center has operated out of a 50,000+ sq ft facility in Mason City, Iowa since 1979. The company manufactures low dust Comfort Zone Cellulose. | Operating |
| Gomaco Manufacturing Facility | Gomaco’s corporate headquarters and manufacturing facilities are located in Ida Grove, Iowa. The company employs around 350 local individuals and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015. | Operating |
| Lennox International Manufacturing and Office Facility | Lennox’s Marshalltown, Iowa, facility has over one million sq ft of manufacturing and office space. The company has been operating in Marshalltown since 1904, and as of 2018, had around 1,400 employees. | Operating |
RELEVANT STATE NEWS
- As Power Demand Rises, a Clean-Energy State Falls Back on Coal [Inside Climate News, 9/14/26]
- Iowa communities grapple with regulating data centers as development spreads [Business Record, 9/11/26]
- Clean Energy group calls for more public scrutiny of data center energy costs [Iowa Capital Dispatch, 9/10/26]
- Iowa businesses, unions form data center group aimed at responsible development [KRCG, 8/3/26]
- Pollution closes 10 Iowa beaches this weekend [The Gazette, 6/19/26]
- Potential data center sparks moratorium push in northwest Iowa [Iowa Public Radio, 6/17/26]
- Climate change brings drought and flooding risks to Iowa [KWQC, 6/4/26]
- In Iowa, water pollution is a health threat that also disrupts summer fun [Associated Press, 6/4/26]
- With Fertilizer Pollution on the Rise, Iowa Will Invest $100 Million in Water Treatment [Inside Climate News, 5/1/26]
- US Energy secretary, visiting Iowa, says data centers will drive energy production [Iowa Capital Dispatch, 4/24/26]
- Iowans paying higher bills while electric utilities’ profits increase [KCRG, 3/16/26]
- Iowa lawmakers push data center transparency [Axios, 2/19/26]
- Trump opposes wind energy. That could be a tough sell in Iowa. [E&E News, 1/27/26]
- Support grows for Duane Arnold nuclear restart in Linn County [KWWL, 12/16/25]
- Cedar Rapids data centers ignite concern from energy advocates, excitement from officials [Daily Iowan, 12/9/25]
- Report shows record employment in Iowa’s clean energy sector [Radio Iowa, 10/16/25]
- Sierra Club report gives Iowa utilities an F for clean energy plans [Iowa Capital Dispatch, 9/24/25]
- Can the Nation’s Most Wind-Powered State Look to Solar? [Inside Climate News, 9/18/25]
STATE CLIMATE DISASTERS
- Between 2010 and 2024, Iowa saw 57 distinct billion-dollar extreme weather events, totaling up to $50 billion in damages. In the past decade, Iowa received almost $1 billion in disaster assistance funding.
- In May 2024, an EF-4 tornado cut a 44-mile path across southeast Iowa, with peak wind speeds of 175-185 mph. The town of Greenfield sustained heavy damage.
- In June 2024, one person was killed in Iowa after 13 rivers flooded, with parts of northwest Iowa receiving eight times the typical average rainfall.
- Winter 2023 to 2024 was one of the warmest on record in Central Iowa. Warm winters prevent the ground from freezing and increase the number of pests and insects that threaten agriculture.
- In Iowa, poor pasture regrowth from intense droughts forced farmers to supplement their cattle’s diet with corn silage and hay from their winter feed supplies.
- As of December 2023, Iowa had experienced abnormally dry and drought conditions for 188 weeks in a row.
- In the summer of 2023, extreme heat and humidity caused the death of approximately 370 cows in Iowa. Many ranchers were forced to buy more hay after extensive droughts in 2023 caused low hay yields and poor hay quality.
- Climate change was driving Iowa’s insurance crisis, as rates increased and insurers left the state.
- As of 2025, reinsurers, companies that insure home insurance providers, were increasingly reluctant to cover Iowa due to repeated high-cost weather events.
- Between 2019 and 2024, home insurance rates in Iowa increased by 61%, placing the state among the top 10 for rate increases. In 2024 alone, home insurance rates in Iowa increased by 18%.