Iowans shouldn’t be footing the bill for data centers

Here’s a novel idea: Iowans shouldn’t be on the hook to pay for data centers.

Anyone building in Iowa should be contributing to Iowa, not extracting from us, because state government is meant to serve Iowa families, not big corporations.

I’ve got a plan to make sure that Iowans aren’t crushed under the weight of these new data centers, and I broke it down below — but if you’re in a hurry or you’re already on board, please consider chipping in $25 before closing this email!

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Major corporations should be paying full freight and carrying their own weight, not raising Iowans’ costs for anything, and they must respect the communities they move to.

• Make them cover 100% of their own costs: That includes covering any increase in costs on utilities so that Iowans’ bills don’t go up one cent.

• End tax breaks for data centers: We need to end tax breaks for these huge corporations and make sure the needs of Iowa taxpayers are being put first.

• Enact strong consumer protections: I’ve got a plan that will require the companies that own the data centers pay 100% of the costs of any and all infrastructure upgrades, energy usage, and other costs.

• Stop data centers from eroding our natural resources and utilities: Right now, these data centers have planted their roots with no clear monitoring of how they use our water and energy.

• Require investments in Iowa’s workforce: New construction of data centers should be built by Iowa union workers that uphold job site quality standards, offer good wages for workers, and make investments in local workforce development.

• Demand accountability and transparency over new data centers: Too often these agreements are done in backrooms and under the shadow of NDAs that hide the process from regular Iowans.

• Require open public hearings and town halls on the creation of new data centers, and support local control. If Iowans don’t want these data centers in their communities, they should have the opportunity to make their voices heard.

• Setback Requirements: No existing Iowa homes should have to hear a data center humming or have any lighting disrupt their enjoyment of their property.

Iowa should be for Iowans, and any corporations building data centers need to understand that — and be held accountable when they need reminding.

If you agree with me, and you’d like to see more transparency and accountability in how data centers are affecting our communities, I hope you’ll chip in $25 today to help elect a governor who will put Iowa families first, not corporations.

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Thanks,

Rob Sand