CEDAR RAPIDS, IA — February 13, 2025 — Today, the City of Cedar Rapids and Alliant Energy officially confirmed QTS will be building a data center campus in Cedar Rapids. QTS is a digital infrastructure leader that designs, builds, and operates world-class data centers at scale across the globe. Their Cedar Rapids campus will bring a minimum $750 million investment to the community.
The Cedar Rapids City Council approved a development agreement with QTS Cedar Rapids LLC at their January 28 meeting. The data center campus, located on 612 acres of the Big Cedar Industrial Center, will mark the largest economic development investment in the City’s history. Under the agreement, QTS will contribute up to $18 million over 20 years to the City of Cedar Rapids-owned “Community Betterment Fund” following the first phase of construction.
“QTS’s arrival underscores Cedar Rapids’ momentum as a center for growth and opportunity,” said Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell. “With a multi-million-dollar commitment to our community betterment fund, this investment brings high-quality jobs, drives economic progress, and strengthens our local initiatives and nonprofits.”
To help facilitate connections and prospective customers, investments made by Alliant Energy accelerated opportunities for Cedar Rapids’ energy infrastructure and economic development.
“We are excited to welcome QTS to Cedar Rapids and proud to support their investment in the region,” said Mayuri Farlinger, President of Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company and Vice President of Energy Delivery. “As a trusted energy partner, we are committed to providing cost-effective power to fuel their operations, while also fostering economic growth for the communities we serve. This stands as a testament to the region as a hub for innovation and investment. We look forward to working together to ensure their long-term success.”
The facility will feature a water-free cooling system, significantly reducing water consumption compared to traditional data center cooling methods.
“Our focus on meaningful partnerships, innovation, and leveraging local talent and infrastructure continues to position Cedar Rapids as a destination for global leaders like QTS,” said Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz. “This data center campus strengthens our position as a center for emerging technology, demonstrating the value of our ongoing efforts to build out diverse industry clusters and ensure Cedar Rapids remains innovative, sustainable, and future ready.”
Construction of the data center campus will bring hundreds of construction and trade jobs, and a minimum of 30 high-tech full-time jobs (15 in each of the project’s first two phases) once operational — with a potential for additional phases in the future.
“Projects like this happen because of key partnerships, in this case, among the state, the City of Cedar Rapids, QTS, and Alliant Energy,” said Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. “Iowa offers a growth-friendly environment and a population known for its strong work ethic. We’re happy to welcome a partner like QTS, who is committed not only to new innovation and technology but also to investing in this community.”
Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to 1 million electric and 425,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy's two public energy companies. Alliant Energy is a component of Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index and the S&P 500. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow Alliant Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.