Adams County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Corning
Adams County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Adams County is home to Corning. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “24-month data center moratorium (Resolution 2026-25)”. Employers here counted 1,168 jobs in 2025, down 10.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019. 39 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Adams County
Adams County is home to Corning.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Adams County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,710 | 3,617 | ▼ 2.5% | 99th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,307 | 1,168 | ▼ 10.6% | 91st of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,918 | $50,936 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 3.2% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 39 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 205 MW of capacity, 94% of it wind. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Adams County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 3,617 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Adams County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +39 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Adams County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidAmerican Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 632,436 | 11.01¢ | 18% |
| Interstate Power and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 417,153 | 17.90¢ | 29% |
| City of Corning - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southwest Iowa Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 193 MW | 94% |
| Petroleum | 7 MW | 3% |
| Natural gas | 5 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Wind | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 154 MW | 2015 |
| Prescott Wind Farm | Prescott Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 39 MW | 2024 |
| Corning | City of Corning - (IA) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1975 |
| POET Biorefining LLC - Corning | POET Biorefining LLC - Corning | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2018 |
The Adams County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,168 | $50,936 | 1.00 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Adams County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-month data center moratorium (Resolution 2026-25) | In force | 2026-06 |
Adams County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Adams County, Adair County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 3,617 | ▼ 10.6% | 205 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Adair County | 7,403 | ▲ 16.2% | 1,152 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 12,960 | ▼ 2.1% | 502 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 10,002 | ▼ 2.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Page County | 14,856 | ▲ 0.5% | 234 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ringgold County | 4,642 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 5,835 | ▲ 1.3% | 122 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Union County | 11,829 | ▼ 3.3% | 424 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Adams County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Adams County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Adams County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Corning - (IA), Southwest Iowa Rural Elec Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Adams County?
4 operating plants with 205 MW of capacity. The largest is Adams Wind (154 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Adams County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Adams County.
Is Adams County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,168 jobs in 2025 against 1,307 in 2019 (-10.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Adams County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Adams County, 1 in force.