Linn County Board Rejects Alliant Energy's Gas Plant Rezoning Amidst Community Opposition
The Linn County Board of Supervisors in Iowa has unanimously rejected a rezoning request from Alliant Energy's subsidiary, Interstate Power and Light, for a proposed natural gas plant near Fairfax. This decision follows significant opposition from local residents and the grassroots group Save Morgan Valley, who raised concerns about air quality, water use, and utility rates. The proposed Morgan Valley Energy Center, intended to be a 160-acre facility with 150-foot-tall exhaust towers, would emit various pollutants including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. This is the second attempt by Alliant to build a gas plant in the area, with previous plans abandoned nine months prior due to similar community resistance. Residents expressed feelings of anger, disgust, and fear regarding the plant's potential environmental and health impacts, particularly given the proximity to Fairfax, Atkins, and Cedar Rapids, which collectively house 140,000 residents within three miles of the proposed site. Th...
