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NCAH Central Utility Plant

Natural gas power plant · Story County, Iowa

Nameplate capacity
14 MW
Rank in Iowa
#145
of 305 plants
In service since
2000
May 2000

Details

Primary fuel
Natural gas
Technology
Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine
Operator
National Centers for Animal Health
County
Story County
Generating units
9
Share of state capacity
0.06%
Rank among natural gas plants in Iowa
#29 of 42
EIA plant code
58265

Generating units

Individual generating units at NCAH Central Utility Plant
UnitTechnologyNameplateSummerOnlineStatus
S-16Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine3.0 MW3.0 MW2006Operating
S-13Petroleum Liquids2.1 MW2.1 MW2004Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used
S-14Petroleum Liquids2.1 MW2.1 MW2004Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used
S-17Petroleum Liquids2.0 MW2.0 MW2006Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used
S-18Petroleum Liquids2.0 MW2.0 MW2000Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used
S-19Petroleum Liquids2.0 MW2.0 MW2010Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used
MBGENPetroleum Liquids0.5 MW0.5 MW2004Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used
C-3Petroleum Liquids0.2 MW0.2 MW2005Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used
FRZRFPetroleum Liquids0.2 MW0.2 MW2005Standby/Backup: available for service but not normally used

Nameplate is the maximum rated output; summer capacity is what the unit can reliably deliver on a hot day, which is typically lower.

Similarly sized plants in Iowa

EsthervilleNatural gas16 MW
Hardin Hilltop Wind LLCWind15 MW
West LibertyOther14 MW
Story CityOther14 MW

About this data

From EIA’s inventory of operable generators, May 2026 release. Capacity is nameplate — the maximum rated output of the equipment, not what the plant actually generates over a year, which depends on how often it runs. A 14 MW solar plant and a 14 MW nuclear plant have the same entry here and produce very different amounts of electricity.

“In service since” is the earliest in-service date among the units still listed, so a site rebuilt around newer equipment can read as younger than the site itself. All Iowa power plants · What Iowa actually generates