University of Iowa Main Power Plant
Natural gas power plant · Johnson County, Iowa
Nameplate capacity
41 MW
Rank in Iowa
#114
of 305 plants
In service since
1974
January 1974
Details
- Primary fuel
- Natural gas
- Technology
- Natural Gas Steam Turbine
- Operator
- University of Iowa
- County
- Johnson County
- Generating units
- 8
- Share of state capacity
- 0.16%
- Rank among natural gas plants in Iowa
- #19 of 42
- EIA plant code
- 54775
Generating units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN6 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 15 MW | 15 MW | 1974 | Operating |
| GEN13 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 10 MW | 10 MW | 2022 | Operating |
| GEN12 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 5.8 MW | 5.8 MW | 2022 | Operating |
| GEN10 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 2.0 MW | 2.0 MW | 2014 | Operating |
| GEN7 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 2.0 MW | 2.0 MW | 2014 | Operating |
| GEN8 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 2.0 MW | 2.0 MW | 2014 | Operating |
| GEN9 | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 2.0 MW | 2.0 MW | 2014 | Operating |
| DG7 | Petroleum Liquids | 1.7 MW | 1.7 MW | 1998 | Out of service and NOT expected to return to service in next calendar year |
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
| Indianola | Other | 41 MW |
| Elk Wind Farm | Wind | 41 MW |
| Cargill Corn Milling Division | Natural gas | 40 MW |
| Iowa State University | Natural gas | 40 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 41 MW solar plant and a 41 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