What's In It for Me? A Data Center Conversation
As Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) works with a prospective developer interested in constructing a 24-megawatt data center at the Calhoun County Business Park, I believe it's important to consider what this investment could mean for our residents, taxpayers, businesses, schools, and communities.
Economic development isn't simply about attracting a new business. It's about creating opportunities that strengthen our communities and improve the future for those who call Calhoun County home.
What's in It for Taxpayers? Perhaps the most significant potential benefit of a data center is the addition of substantial taxable property value.
Data centers require significant private investment in buildings, electrical infrastructure, and specialized equipment. That investment could generate additional property tax revenue supporting county services, schools, and other local taxing jurisdictions. And here's something particularly important: The developer is not asking for local economic development incentives to locate at the Calhoun County Business Park.
They recognize the value of our location, infrastructure, and available services. They aren't asking us to provide financial incentives to convince them to invest here. In fact, CCEDC is exploring additional benefits the developers could provide to our communities. They see value in what we already have.
While additional taxable valuation doesn't automatically mean lower property taxes, it can strengthen our tax base and help support essential services without placing the entire responsibility on existing taxpayers.
What's in It for Local Businesses and Workers? A project of this nature could create opportunities for contractors, electricians, excavation crews, trucking companies, equipment suppliers, restaurants, and other local businesses during construction. Once operational, the proposed facility is expected to create approximately 20 high-paying technical jobs, along with opportunities for ongoing maintenance and support services.
Twenty jobs may not sound like a large number, but economic development shouldn't be measured exclusively by employment numbers. Private capital investment, property valuation, business opportunities, and long-term economic stability are equally important.
For young people, technology-based businesses also introduce career opportunities in industries that will continue shaping our economy.
Why Calhoun County? The prospective developer is interested in Calhoun County because of our location at U.S. Highway 20 and Iowa Highway 4, access to electrical infrastructure, and high-quality communications services. These advantages didn't happen by accident. They reflect years of planning and partnerships intended to position Calhoun County for development.
When we hear about data centers, we often hear about enormous facilities requiring hundreds of megawatts of electricity and billions of dollars in investment. That is not what is proposed here.
This developer focuses on smaller-footprint data centers rather than the massive campuses dominating national headlines. The proposed Calhoun County facility would have an electrical capacity of approximately 24 megawatts.
Our Business Park was intentionally established as an industrial development area to accommodate the future needs of Calhoun County and Iowa. We have invested years preparing this location for opportunities like this. The businesses of tomorrow may not resemble those of yesterday, but that doesn't mean they don't belong here.
Preparing for changing industries is precisely why communities establish industrial and business parks.
What About Electricity, Water, and Infrastructure? These are legitimate questions, and our residents deserve straightforward answers.
The developer has indicated the facility would use a closed-loop water-cooling system designed to limit ongoing water consumption. The daily water usage would be equivalent to around 13 homes. However, we must understand actual water requirements, electrical demands, infrastructure needs, and potential impacts on existing utility customers. We must also determine who pays for necessary infrastructure improvements.
Let me make something very clear. CCEDC is conducting its due diligence, and we have absolutely no intention of leading our communities into a situation detrimental to their future. Our responsibility isn't to attract investment at any cost. It's to evaluate opportunities carefully, ask difficult questions, work with qualified professionals, and protect Calhoun County's long-term interests.
We aren't asking anyone to blindly support this project. We are asking residents to evaluate it based on facts.
Economic development must be a win for Calhoun County, not simply a win for the developer.
What Safeguards Will Protect Our Local Electric Rates? One concern deserving particular attention is whether the data center's electricity demand could increase utility rates for our residents, farmers, and businesses.
That's a legitimate concern, and one CCEDC takes seriously.
The proposed facility would require approximately 24 megawatts of electrical capacity. That is a substantial amount of electricity, and we must ensure the infrastructure and financial arrangements are appropriate before the project moves forward.
Our local electric cooperative and its power supply partners are evaluating the electrical requirements of this development. These evaluations are essential to determining what improvements may be necessary and how the costs should be allocated.
Our expectation is straightforward: Existing electric customers should not be asked to subsidize the cost of bringing a new, large electrical customer into our community.
Safeguards can be established through utility agreements, including requiring the developer to pay for infrastructure improvements attributable to the project, establishing appropriate rates for large electrical users, and ensuring the developer makes financial commitments sufficient to protect other customers if its electricity needs change or the project does not proceed as anticipated.
These protections must be evaluated and established by the responsible utility providers. CCEDC does not set electric rates, but we can advocate for the interests of our communities and insist that these questions receive thorough consideration.
We welcome the opportunity for new investment, but not at the expense of the families, farms, and businesses already paying their electric bills in Calhoun County.
What About Surveillance and Personal Privacy? I've noticed social media discussions suggesting data centers are primarily about surveillance and collecting personal information.
It's important to understand what data centers actually do. A data center houses computer systems that store, process, and transmit digital information. These facilities support banking, healthcare, agriculture, education, communications, and countless online services.
A data center isn't inherently a surveillance operation. Its purpose depends on who operates it and how the technology is used. If personal privacy concerns us, we should also recognize how much information is already collected through everyday technology.
When we use Facebook, Instagram, X, smartphones, search engines, or websites, information about our activities may be collected. Depending on privacy settings and permissions, that can include browsing habits, interests, location, and purchasing preferences. Some information is collected with explicit permission; other collection occurs through tracking technologies and privacy policies many people don't fully understand. Digital data collection is already part of our lives, whether a data center is in Calhoun County.
If surveillance concerns you, I encourage you to review your social media privacy settings and understand what information you're sharing.
That doesn't eliminate the need to ask questions about this proposed facility. CCEDC should understand its intended operations and address legitimate concerns.
But let's distinguish facts from speculation.
What Happens If We Don't Embrace Change? Technology, agriculture, manufacturing, and business are evolving rapidly. Calhoun County has a choice.
We can recognize emerging opportunities, evaluate them responsibly, and position ourselves to participate in tomorrow's economy. Or we can resist change and watch opportunities move elsewhere. Time will march on, whether we choose to move forward with it or not.
Other communities are preparing industrial sites, strengthening infrastructure, and competing for investment. Opportunities won't necessarily wait for Calhoun County.
That doesn't mean every proposed development is right for us. We should never sacrifice our natural resources, quality of life, or community values simply to attract investment. But we must remain willing to consider opportunities that look different from what we've known. We can honor our past without allowing it to limit our future.
So, What's in It for Me?
If you own a home, it's the potential benefit of a stronger tax base.
If you operate a business, it's the possibility of new customers and contracts.
If you're a parent or grandparent, it's additional career opportunity for future generations.
If you love living in Calhoun County, it's the possibility of a stronger, more resilient rural economy.
This project remains a proposal, with important questions and decisions ahead. But it represents an opportunity worth exploring. We've spent years preparing the Calhoun County Business Park for investment. Now we have a developer who recognizes our potential without asking for local financial incentives.
They see opportunities in Calhoun County. Shouldn't we recognize that opportunity, too?
We can be cautious without being closed-minded. We can ask difficult questions without rejecting new ideas. And we can embrace progress without abandoning our values.
If we don't change with the times, opportunities we've worked hard to create may become opportunities realized somewhere else.
Let's be thoughtful. Let's be responsible. But let's also recognize opportunity when it comes knocking. Because the greatest question isn't simply, “What's in it for me today?”
It's “What kind of Calhoun County do we want to leave for tomorrow?”
Theresa Hildreth
Executive Director
Calhoun County Economic Development Corporation