US data center operator QTS is seeking to construct a temporary power plant to support testing operations at its data center campus in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

According to reporting from Corridor Business, the plant will consist of modular, self-contained generator units and will be placed on QTS-owned property near the Eastern Iowa Airport.

The location of the prospective plants has engendered pushback, as siting generation units so close to an airport would require a review.

“Anything built near the airport requires airport review, per chapter 39 of City of Cedar Rapids Municipal Code,” Eastern Iowa Airport marketing and communications director Pam Hinman said in an email to Corridor Business. “Based on the scope of this project, the airport is requiring the company to submit information regarding potential impacts to airspace, including air turbulence and visible plumes relative to its operation. This information would be reviewed by the airport to determine compliance with the airport zoning code.”

In response, a QTS spokesperson issued a statement on the plan, indicating that “temporary, on-site power generation is a standard part of commissioning large-scale infrastructure projects, including data centers.”

To secure approval, the project will require permits from the city of Cedar Rapids, the Federal Aviation Administration, and “other regulatory agencies.”

“At our Cedar Rapids site, temporary generation equipment has been installed on the QTS-owned parcel, and we are working through final permitting details with the city and the FAA,” the QTS spokesperson added. “We expect the system to come online in the coming weeks. These systems are designed for short-term use only and are expected to operate for less than six months during construction and commissioning. They are removed once permanent utility power is available and are not part of long-term operations. We do not expect on-site generation to be needed beyond this initial commissioning phase.”

QTS broke ground at the campus in August of last year. The data center is sited on 612 acres in the Big Cedar Industrial Center, and at full buildout could support up to even data center buildings, with cost estimates as high as $10 billion.

News of a large data center campus in Cedar Rapids surfaced in September 2024. The City of Cedar Rapids and Alliant Energy officially confirmed QTS was behind the project early last year.

Founded in 2003 and owned by Blackstone since 2021, QTS has dozens of data centers in operation and development across the US, UK, Netherlands, and Spain.