Growing Iowa’s Economy will promote the responsible development of new data centers in order to help:
- Attract tens of billions of dollars in new investments to the state
- Create tens of thousands of new, high-quality jobs
- Secure hundreds of millions of dollars in new property taxes to help Iowa communities fund local priorities
Iowa (Monday, August 3, 2026) – Today, a bipartisan group of Iowa labor, economic development, business and issue advocacy leaders announced the launch of Growing Iowa’s Economy. The coalition will advocate for policies to help Iowa further establish itself as a leading state for technology and innovation, the expansion of the state’s digital infrastructure, and the responsible development of new data centers.
“In the coming years, tens of billions of dollars will be spent developing data centers in the United States, and when those dollars are invested here in Iowa, it will help support meaningful, long-term economic growth in communities of all sizes across our state,” said Dan Culhane, President and CEO of the Ames Regional Economic Alliance. “Through responsible and regulated development, these types of investments will deliver more economic opportunities to more Iowans, all while strengthening Iowa’s economy in the years to come.”
Investing in Iowa’s digital infrastructure is critical to achieving a number of long-term priorities, including expanding and strengthening the state’s energy grid and supporting new investments in power generation, semiconductors, energy transmission and more.
When it comes to data centers, Growing Iowa’s Economy will be guided by several key principles, including:
- Data center operators will pay for the energy they use and any necessary upgrades to our energy grid – not Iowans, Iowa families, or other Iowa businesses.
- Iowans deserve a voice in major energy infrastructure decisions that impact their communities. Continued Iowa Utilities Commission review of regulated utilities helps ensure transparency, accountability, public input, and affordable rates for all customers.
- New development should reflect Iowa values by being a responsible community partner, minimizing local impacts, supporting environmental stewardship, and respecting the quality of life of the communities where it operates.
“Developing data centers in a responsible way will create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs with good benefits both during construction and once these facilities begin operating,” said Andy Roberts, President of the Iowa Building and Construction Trades Council. “This level of job creation is absolutely essential to ensure working Iowans in every region of the state have access to the types of economic opportunities that can effectively address the affordability concerns that are so pressing right now.”
A large data center is expected to create an average of 1,000 to 4,500 jobs, with the largest facilities – known as hyperscale centers – expected to create up to 7,000 construction jobs.
“For a community like ours, hundreds of millions of dollars in new property tax revenue isn’t just a number. It’s money that goes directly into our schools, hospitals, roads, public safety, and real tax relief for the families who live here,” said John Hall, President and CEO of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce. “Smaller communities are the ones fighting hardest to keep the tax base strong enough to fund what matters, and this is exactly the kind of investment that gives local leaders, of all sizes of communities, the resources to get it done.”
The initial members of Growing Iowa’s Economy include:
- Alliant Energy
- Ames Regional Economic Alliance
- Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Building and Construction Trades Council
- Great Plains Laborers District Council
- Great Plains Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET)
- Grow Clinton
- Heat and Frost Insulators Local 74
- IBEW Iowa State Conference
- IBEW Local 13
- IBEW Local 231
- IBEW Local 288
- IBEW Local 347
- IBEW Local 704
- Iowa Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust (LECET)
- Iowa Federation of Labor
- Iowa Building and Construction Trades Council
- Iron Workers Local 67
- Iron Workers Local 89
- Laborers Local 43
- Laborers Local 177
- Laborers Local 309
- Laborers Local 538
- Laborers Local 1140
- Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce
- OPCMIA Local 538 (Plasterers and Cement Masons)
- Operating Engineers Local 234
- Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 33
- Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 25
- South Central Iowa State Building Trades Council
- Tri-City Building and Construction Trades Council
- The Weitz Company
To learn more, please visit www.GrowingIowasEconomy.com.