University of Northern Iowa
Natural gas power plant · Black Hawk County, Iowa
Nameplate capacity
7.5 MW
Rank in Iowa
#173
of 305 plants
In service since
1982
November 1982
Details
- Primary fuel
- Natural gas
- Technology
- Natural Gas Steam Turbine
- Operator
- University of Northern Iowa
- County
- Black Hawk County
- Generating units
- 1
- Share of state capacity
- 0.03%
- Rank among natural gas plants in Iowa
- #35 of 42
- EIA plant code
- 50088
Generating units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 7.5 MW | 7.5 MW | 1982 | Operating |
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
| Laurens | Other | 7.5 MW |
| Otter Creek Ethanol Poet - Ashton | Natural gas | 7.5 MW |
| Cascade | Other | 7.2 MW |
| State Center | Natural gas | 7.1 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 7.5 MW solar plant and a 7.5 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