Ethanol Plants Outshine Data Centers in Resource Consumption
Concerns over water and energy use by proposed data centers in Iowa have sparked debate. However, ethanol plants have been using comparable resources for decades with relatively little scrutiny.
A comparison of Meta's hyperscale data center in Altoona to the Little Sioux Corn Processor ethanol plant in Marcus reveals striking similarities. On water use, Meta consumes 53 million gallons per year (MGY), enough for 2,100 people. In contrast, the Little Sioux plant used 543 MGY in 2025, more than 10 times as much, equivalent to providing water for over 21,000 people.
If connected to the Summit pipeline, the Little Sioux plant's total water use would increase by another 173 MGY, reaching a staggering 716 MGY, enough for 28,000 people. This surpasses the combined population of O'Brien and Cherokee counties, which have 14,100 and 11,600 residents, respectively.
The Little Sioux plant also uses enough electricity for 48,000 people annually, equivalent to two years' worth of consumption for both counties combined. Meta, on the other hand, uses enough power for 284,000 people per year. The ethanol plant's natural gas usage is substantial as well, with enough fuel for 127,000 people, equivalent to five years' worth for both counties.
In a scathing letter to the editor, landowner Don Johnson argues that if concerns over data centers are valid, they should be applied equally to ethanol plants and the Summit pipeline. He questions why Iowa continues to invest in the struggling project, which relies on federal tax credits for income, and wonders why private companies are granted eminent domain for their gain.