Energy

Northwest Iowa’s Woodbury County has joined a growing list of Iowa communities developing regulations for data centers. The vote comes after the City of Salix annexed farmland for a potential data center that MidAmerican Energy is shopping around.

The City of Cedar Falls is moving forward with plans to build a new gas power plant. Cedar Falls Utilities, which is behind the project, says the plant will support the city's energy independence as the region's electrical grid is increasingly strained.

The issue of data centers is heating up in a small community just south of Sioux City. Residents say they were left in the dark, and Woodbury County officials are considering new regulations.

At the first reading of a proposed data zoning ordinance, residents of Palo and nearby communities raised concerns over the negative impacts future data centers could have on water and traffic, as well as light and noise pollution. Many people asked for the city to tighten regulations, while several others asked the city to table the ordinance completely.

With U.S. electricity demand expected to grow significantly by the end of the decade, and the U.S. Department of Energy trying to achieve net-zero emissions in the power sector by 2035, more clean power will need to come online. In eastern Iowa, the potential restart of a nuclear plant could signal what’s ahead for the country.

Home improvement expert Bill McAnally breaks down what’s worth fixing, what’s worth replacing and how to make your home more energy efficient. McAnally also answers listener questions about windows and other home improvement projects, offering practical advice for tackling the jobs on your to-do list and deciding what upgrades are worth the investment.