Data center policy a ‘ubiquitous’ and ‘pressing’ issue for state lawmakers

When Iowa lawmakers return to Des Moines in January for the 2027 legislative session, they’ll need to address the state’s role in regulating data centers, which while not new, have increased in the state alongside an explosion of technology such as artificial intelligence and cloud storage. An Iowa legislator and utility stakeholders said recently in a webinar that policy decisions to bring data centers online should consider stakeholders across the spectrum and take into account the long-term planning associated with connecting to the grid. The webinar was hosted by Legible, a platform that tracks legislation across states, with leadership of the platform stating that public policy around data centers has arisen as a “ubiquitous, as well as pressing, issue being talked about this year.” States, local governments and lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are grappling with data center policy.

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