Total capacity
24.9 GW
19th largest of 51 states
Plants
305
304 in service
Largest plant
1,648 MW
Walter Scott Jr Energy Center
Capacity by fuel
54%
21%
18%
| Fuel | Capacity | Share | Plants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind | 13,410 MW | 53.8% | 123 |
| Coal | 5,216 MW | 20.9% | 8 |
| Natural gas | 4,450 MW | 17.9% | 42 |
| Other | 848 MW | 3.4% | 90 |
| Solar | 795 MW | 3.2% | 34 |
| Hydro | 184 MW | 0.7% | 4 |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 0.0% | 4 |
Nameplate capacity — what the fleet could produce running flat out — not what it actually generated. A plant is filed under the fuel carrying most of its capacity. See what Iowa actually generated →
Largest plants in Iowa
| # | Plant | Fuel | Capacity | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walter Scott Jr Energy CenterPottawattamie County | Coal | 1,648 MW | 1978 |
| 2 | LouisaLouisa County | Coal | 812 MW | 1983 |
| 3 | OttumwaWapello County | Coal | 726 MW | 1981 |
| 4 | Marshalltown Generating StationMarshall County | Natural gas | 709 MW | 2017 |
| 5 | George Neal SouthWoodbury County | Coal | 696 MW | 1979 |
| 6 | Emery StationCerro Gordo County | Natural gas | 603 MW | 2004 |
| 7 | George Neal NorthWoodbury County | Coal | 584 MW | 1975 |
| 8 | Greater Des MoinesPolk County | Natural gas | 576 MW | 2003 |
| 9 | Highland Wind Project (IA)O'Brien County | Wind | 502 MW | 2015 |
| 10 | Orient Wind FarmAdair County | Wind | 501 MW | 2018 |
Iowa's generating fleet in context
Iowa's generating fleet holds 24.9 gigawatts of nameplate capacity as of May 2026, ranking 19th among the 51 states and territories. The state operates 305 plants, 304 of which are in service. This is capacity — what the equipment could produce running flat out — not generation, which differs because a megawatt of solar and a megawatt of coal produce very different amounts of electricity over a year.
Wind dominates the fleet at 53.8% of capacity with 13,410 megawatts across 123 plants. Coal provides 20.9% with 5,216 megawatts from 8 plants, and natural gas accounts for 17.9% with 4,450 megawatts spread across 42 plants. Solar contributes 3.2% (795 megawatts), hydro 0.7% (184 megawatts), and battery storage a negligible 0% (10 megawatts). The remaining 3.4% comes from other sources across 90 plants.
The largest plant is the Walter Scott Jr Energy Center, a 1,648-megawatt coal facility that came online in 1978. It is followed by Louisa (812 megawatts, coal, 1983), Ottumwa (726 megawatts, coal, 1981), Marshalltown Generating Station (709 megawatts, natural gas, 2017), and George Neal South (696 megawatts, coal, 1979). The fleet spans nearly a century: the oldest plant still listed is Manning, which came online in March 1928, while the newest is Shenandoah Hills Wind Farm, which came online in December 2025.
Written from the EIA figures on this page, covering data through May 2026.
Every plant in Iowa, by fuel
Wind123 plants · 13,410 MW
All US wind plants →Coal8 plants · 5,216 MW
All US coal plants →| Plant | County | Capacity | Units | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walter Scott Jr Energy Center | Pottawattamie | 1,648 MW | 2 | 1978 |
| Louisa | Louisa | 812 MW | 1 | 1983 |
| Ottumwa | Wapello | 726 MW | 1 | 1981 |
| George Neal South | Woodbury | 696 MW | 1 | 1979 |
| George Neal North | Woodbury | 584 MW | 1 | 1975 |
| Archer Daniels Midland Cedar Rapids | Linn | 295 MW | 7 | 1988 |
| Muscatine Plant #1 | Muscatine | 276 MW | 3 | 1958 |
| Archer Daniels Midland Clinton | Clinton | 180 MW | 2 | 2009 |
Natural gas42 plants · 4,450 MW
All US natural gas plants →| Plant | County | Capacity | Units | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshalltown Generating Station | Marshall | 709 MW | 5 | 2017 |
| Emery Station | Cerro Gordo | 603 MW | 3 | 2004 |
| Greater Des Moines | Polk | 576 MW | 3 | 2003 |
| Burlington (IA) | Des Moines | 291 MW | 5 | 1968 |
| Electrifarm | Black Hawk | 264 MW | 3 | 1975 |
| Prairie Creek | Linn | 199 MW | 2 | 1958 |
| Marshalltown | Marshall | 189 MW | 3 | 1978 |
| Exira | Audubon | 182 MW | 3 | 2004 |
| Pleasant Hill | Polk | 180 MW | 3 | 1990 |
| Sycamore (IA) | Polk | 158 MW | 2 | 1974 |
| River Hills | Polk | 128 MW | 8 | 1966 |
| Earl F Wisdom | Clay | 119 MW | 2 | 1960 |
| Summit Lake | Union | 119 MW | 5 | 1973 |
| Ames Electric Services Power Plant | Story | 109 MW | 2 | 1968 |
| Roquette America | Lee | 84 MW | 3 | 2004 |
| Coralville GT | Johnson | 72 MW | 4 | 1970 |
| Streeter Station | Black Hawk | 52 MW | 2 | 1963 |
| Gas Turbine (IA) | Black Hawk | 43 MW | 2 | 1968 |
| University of Iowa Main Power Plant | Johnson | 41 MW | 8 | 1974 |
| Cargill Corn Milling Division | Monroe | 40 MW | 2 | 1952 |
| Iowa State University | Story | 40 MW | 3 | 1970 |
| Merl Parr | Floyd | 36 MW | 2 | 1969 |
| New Hampton | Chickasaw | 27 MW | 5 | 1967 |
| Maquoketa 1 | Jackson | 24 MW | 9 | 1956 |
| Osage (IA) | Mitchell | 19 MW | 6 | 1963 |
| Winterset | Madison | 18 MW | 8 | 1956 |
| Vinton | Benton | 18 MW | 7 | 1946 |
| Estherville | Emmet | 16 MW | 5 | 1946 |
| NCAH Central Utility Plant | Story | 14 MW | 9 | 2000 |
| Atlantic | Cass | 10 MW | 1 | 1999 |
| Montezuma | Poweshiek | 9.8 MW | 8 | 1940 |
| Bloomfield | Davis | 8.5 MW | 6 | 1945 |
| Archer Daniels Midland Des Moines | Polk | 7.9 MW | 1 | 1988 |
| Otter Creek Ethanol Poet - Ashton | Osceola | 7.5 MW | 1 | 2004 |
| University of Northern Iowa | Black Hawk | 7.5 MW | 1 | 1982 |
| State Center | Marshall | 7.1 MW | 6 | 1972 |
| POET Biorefining - Gowrie | Webster | 5.0 MW | 1 | 2018 |
| POET Biorefining - Jewell | Hamilton | 5.0 MW | 1 | 2019 |
| POET Biorefining LLC - Corning | Adams | 5.0 MW | 1 | 2018 |
| Preston (IA) | Jackson | 3.6 MW | 2 | 1980 |
| Poet Bioprocessing Emmetsburg | Palo Alto | 3.5 MW | 1 | 2023 |
| Oakdale Renewable Energy Plant | Johnson | 2.8 MW | 2 | 2010 |
Other90 plants · 848 MW
All US other plants →| Plant | County | Capacity | Units | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lime Creek | Cerro Gordo | 90 MW | 2 | 1991 |
| Ames GT | Story | 79 MW | 2 | 1972 |
| Indianola | Warren | 41 MW | 2 | 1977 |
| Pella Peaking | Marion | 28 MW | 14 | 2003 |
| Waverly Municipal Electric North Plant | Bremer | 25 MW | 8 | 1958 |
| Mt Pleasant | Henry | 24 MW | 12 | 2002 |
| Spencer Gas Turbine | Clay | 24 MW | 1 | 1970 |
| Forest City Light Plant | Winnebago | 22 MW | 6 | 1950 |
| Amana Society Service Company | Iowa | 22 MW | 12 | 2001 |
| Webster City | Hamilton | 21 MW | 1 | 1972 |
| Shenandoah | Page | 20 MW | 10 | 2000 |
| Waterloo Lundquist | Black Hawk | 18 MW | 9 | 2000 |
| Lake Mills | Winnebago | 18 MW | 4 | 1962 |
| Algona | Kossuth | 16 MW | 4 | 1965 |
| Alliant SBD 9106 Rockwell CR | Linn | 16 MW | 10 | 1992 |
| Knoxville Industrial | Marion | 16 MW | 8 | 2000 |
| West Liberty | Muscatine | 14 MW | 3 | 1982 |
| Story City | Story | 14 MW | 6 | 1964 |
| South Plant (IA) | Bremer | 12 MW | 6 | 2000 |
| Alliant SBD 9107 JBS USA | Marshall | 11 MW | 7 | 1992 |
| Metro Methane Recovery Facility | Polk | 11 MW | 11 | 1998 |
| Lamoni Municipal Utilities | Decatur | 11 MW | 8 | 1940 |
| Bellevue | Jackson | 9.8 MW | 6 | 1953 |
| Tipton | Cedar | 9.3 MW | 5 | 1971 |
| Wilton | Muscatine | 9.2 MW | 5 | 1992 |
| John Deere Dubuque Works | Dubuque | 9.0 MW | 6 | 1994 |
| Grundy Center City Light Plant | Grundy | 8.7 MW | 3 | 1963 |
| Maquoketa 2 | Jackson | 8.0 MW | 4 | 2001 |
| NLMU Diesel | Henry | 8.0 MW | 4 | 2000 |
| North Generation Plant | Adair | 8.0 MW | 4 | 2002 |
| Manning | Carroll | 7.9 MW | 6 | 1928 |
| Laurens | Pocahontas | 7.5 MW | 3 | 2013 |
| Cascade | Dubuque | 7.2 MW | 5 | 1951 |
| Corning | Adams | 6.8 MW | 3 | 1975 |
| West Bend | Palo Alto | 6.7 MW | 4 | 1954 |
| Milford | Dickinson | 6.5 MW | 5 | 1949 |
| Alliant SBD0201 Ingredion | Linn | 6.1 MW | 4 | 2003 |
| Lenox | Taylor | 6.1 MW | 5 | 1948 |
| Farmers Electric Cooperative - Kalona | Johnson | 6.0 MW | 3 | 2001 |
| Alliant SBD 8602 Marion Sub | Linn | 5.6 MW | 4 | 1986 |
| Alliant SBD 9203 Profol | Linn | 5.6 MW | 3 | 1996 |
| Coon Rapids II | Carroll | 5.4 MW | 3 | 2001 |
| La Porte | Black Hawk | 5.4 MW | 3 | 2000 |
| Sumner | BREMER | 5.4 MW | 3 | 2021 |
| Sibley One | Osceola | 5.2 MW | 3 | 1971 |
| Downtown Generation Plant | Adair | 5.0 MW | 2 | 2020 |
| Panora | GUTHRIE | 4.5 MW | 3 | 1988 |
| Durant | Cedar | 4.4 MW | 2 | 1998 |
| Gilliam South | Adair | 4.3 MW | 2 | 2001 |
| Bancroft | Kossuth | 4.2 MW | 3 | 1954 |
| Alliant SBD 9403 Aegon DC | Linn | 4.1 MW | 3 | 1995 |
| Hopkinton | Delaware | 4.1 MW | 2 | 1973 |
| Alta Municipal Utilities | Buena Vista | 4.0 MW | 2 | 2018 |
| Lake Mills Gas Recovery | Winnebago | 4.0 MW | 5 | 2006 |
| Lake Park | Dickinson | 4.0 MW | 2 | 2005 |
| POET Biorefining-Hanlontown, LLC | Worth | 4.0 MW | 1 | 2019 |
| Traer East | Tama | 4.0 MW | 2 | 2004 |
| Villisca Municipal Power Plant | Montgomery | 4.0 MW | 2 | 2003 |
| West Diesel Generation Unit | Pocahontas | 4.0 MW | 2 | 2006 |
| Ogden | Boone | 3.9 MW | 3 | 1951 |
| Alliant SBD 9205 A Y McDonald | Dubuque | 3.6 MW | 3 | 1990 |
| South Strawberry | Clayton | 3.6 MW | 2 | 2002 |
| Alliant SBD 9301 Prairie Farms | Dubuque | 3.5 MW | 3 | 1993 |
| Traer Main | Tama | 3.5 MW | 3 | 1963 |
| Harlan | Shelby | 3.4 MW | 2 | 2001 |
| Graettinger | Palo Alto | 3.1 MW | 2 | 1990 |
| Anita | Cass | 2.9 MW | 5 | 1939 |
| Rockford | Floyd | 2.9 MW | 3 | 1951 |
| Des Moines Wastewater Reclamation Fac | Polk | 2.8 MW | 2 | 2015 |
| Stuart (IA) | Guthrie | 2.8 MW | 3 | 1956 |
| Gowrie | Webster | 2.5 MW | 1 | 2013 |
| Rock Rapids | Lyon | 2.5 MW | 1 | 1968 |
| Brooklyn | Poweshiek | 2.3 MW | 1 | 2012 |
| Brooklyn City North Plant | Poweshiek | 2.3 MW | 1 | 2012 |
| Dike City Power Plant | Grundy | 2.2 MW | 1 | 2005 |
| Alliant SBD 9201 Norplex | Allamakee | 2.1 MW | 2 | 1988 |
| Anderson Erickson | Polk | 2.0 MW | 1 | 2000 |
| Coggon | Linn | 2.0 MW | 1 | 2003 |
| Primghar | O'Brien | 2.0 MW | 1 | 2024 |
| Traer South | Tama | 2.0 MW | 1 | 2001 |
| Dayton (IA) | Webster | 1.8 MW | 1 | 2000 |
| Earlville | Delaware | 1.8 MW | 1 | 2001 |
| Wapsie Valley Creamery Back Up Generator | Buchanan | 1.8 MW | 1 | 2015 |
| West Receiving | Crawford | 1.8 MW | 1 | 1998 |
| Grand Junction | Greene | 1.7 MW | 1 | 1994 |
| Alliant SBD 9206 Donaldson | Howard | 1.6 MW | 1 | 1995 |
| Davenport Water Pollution Control Plant | Scott | 1.6 MW | 2 | 1995 |
| McGregor | Clayton | 1.5 MW | 2 | 1941 |
| Sibley No Two | Osceola | 1.1 MW | 1 | 1987 |
| AgriReNew | Scott | 1.0 MW | 1 | 2013 |
Solar34 plants · 795 MW
All US solar plants →Hydro4 plants · 184 MW
All US hydro plants →| Plant | County | Capacity | Units | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keokuk | Lee | 125 MW | 15 | 2013 |
| Red Rock Hydro Plant | Marion | 55 MW | 2 | 2021 |
| Ottumwa City of | Wapello | 3.2 MW | 3 | 1931 |
| Iowa Hydro LLC | Jackson | 1.2 MW | 2 | 2024 |
Battery storage4 plants · 10 MW
All US battery storage plants →| Plant | County | Capacity | Units | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Run Battery | Linn | 5.0 MW | 1 | 2023 |
| Decorah Battery | Winneshiek | 2.5 MW | 1 | 2021 |
| Hampton Substation Energy Storage | Franklin | 1.8 MW | 1 | 2022 |
| Knoxville Battery Energy Storage | Marion | 1.1 MW | 1 | 2018 |
Sorted by nameplate capacity within each fuel. “Online” is the year the plant’s earliest surviving unit entered service.
Frequently asked questions
›How many power plants are there in Iowa?
Iowa has 305 operable power plants with a combined nameplate capacity of 24.9 GW, the 19th largest generating fleet of the 51 states and DC. 304 of them are currently in service.
›What is the largest power plant in Iowa?
Walter Scott Jr Energy Center in Pottawattamie County, a coal plant with 1,648 MW of capacity across 2 generating units, first online in December 1978.
›What fuel do Iowa's power plants use?
Wind accounts for the largest share of Iowa's generating capacity — 13,410 MW, or 53.8% of the total, across 123 plants. Coal follows at 20.9%, Natural gas follows at 17.9%, Other follows at 3.4%. Note this is capacity, not generation — what the fleet could produce, not what it did.
›What is the oldest power plant in Iowa?
Manning is the oldest still operable, with its earliest unit entering service in March 1928. The most recent addition is Shenandoah Hills Wind Farm, online since December 2025.