Nearly 200 scientists from across the state say Iowa is at a fork-in-the-road when it comes to addressing the rapid increase in electricity demand, due in large part to the proliferation of data centers.
Dave Courard-Hauri is an environmental science and sustainability professor at Drake University. He moderated the 2026 Iowa Climate Statement press event on Tuesday.
“Now is a critical time to think carefully about how we want our energy future to look in Iowa. As we expand generation capacity, do we want our electric utilities and the corporations building independent data centers to continue the path that Iowa has blazed in renewable energy," he said.
Courard-Hauri said the other path is generating more energy from fossil fuels, which have climate and health risks.
Emissions from burning coal are particularly harmful to respiratory health and trap heat in the atmosphere.
Globally, the ten most recent years are the warmest on record.
The scientists who signed the 2026 Iowa Climate Statement says renewable energy does not add to increasing temperatures and is among the cheapest options available for generating electricity
