Power · Oct 22, 2026, 09:50
Alliant's 720-MW Morgan Valley Gas Plant Denied Linn County Rezoning
Linn County, Iowa supervisors voted 3-0 on Oct. 20 against rezoning for Alliant Energy's Morgan Valley gas plant, but the Iowa Utilities Commission can override the county from Dec. 7.
Alliant's rendering of the Morgan Valley plant, which Linn County supervisors voted 3-0 not to rezone.
Image: Alliant Energy
Source · Press image from the Alliant Energy project page, used for news reporting.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors in Iowa voted 3-0 on Oct. 20 to deny the rezoning that Alliant Energy's Interstate Power and Light unit needs for its proposed 720-MW Morgan Valley Energy Center, according to Corridor Business Journal, KCRG and CBS 2 Iowa.
The vote ended a six-hour meeting and ran past midnight. It cancels the second and third readings of the rezoning ordinance. A day earlier, the county's Planning and Zoning Commission split 3-3, so the request reached the board with no recommendation. The land is about 150 acres of farmland near U.S. Highway 30 and Linn-Benton Road, and Linn County requires gas plants to sit in Exclusive Use 2 (EU-2) zoning.
The county's no is not the last word. KCRG and CBS 2 Iowa both report that the Iowa Utilities Commission can issue a generating certificate that overrides the county, and that it is scheduled to begin considering Alliant's application on Dec. 7. The plant's air permit application is under separate review.
