Applied Digital Adair County Data Center Iowa 200MW AI Campus

Status: Proposed / Planning Review & Setback Ordinance Review   |   Location: 1247 Fallow Avenue, Adair / Greenfield, Adair County, IA 50002, USA

Project Overview

The Applied Digital Adair County Data Center is a proposed $1.5 billion high-density AI data center campus in rural Adair County, Iowa, near Greenfield, designed to provide large-scale computing infrastructure for the rapidly growing artificial intelligence and hyperscale cloud markets. Developed by Applied Digital Corporation, the project is planned as a two-building campus, with each facility covering approximately 300,000 square feet, creating substantial dedicated space for accelerated computing and other high-density workloads. The master plan is specifically designed to support AI training, machine learning, accelerated compute and hyperscale cloud applications, positioning the development to serve workloads that require significantly greater computing and power density than conventional enterprise data centers. A major advantage of the campus is its direct connection to the MidAmerican Energy high-voltage electrical grid through an adjacent NextEra Energy substation, providing access to the substantial power infrastructure required for large-scale AI operations. The project's location in Iowa also places it within a region known for strong renewable energy resources, particularly wind generation, allowing the campus to leverage the area's expanding wind-powered electricity supply. Cooling efficiency is another important component of the design, with Applied Digital planning to use its proprietary closed-loop, waterless cooling technology to manage heat generated by high-density computing without relying on conventional evaporative water consumption. This approach is particularly relevant for AI facilities, where dense GPU deployments can create significantly higher thermal loads. By combining a large-scale investment, dedicated AI-oriented buildings, high-voltage grid access, regional wind energy resources and waterless cooling, the Adair County development is positioned as a significant emerging AI infrastructure campus in the U.S. Midwest. The project could strengthen Iowa's role in supporting next-generation AI and cloud computing while demonstrating how power availability, efficient cooling and scalable facility design are becoming central considerations in hyperscale data center development.

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