166th largest plant in Iowa · 6283rd nationally
Archer Daniels Midland Des Moines is a coal power plant in Iowa with a nameplate capacity of 7.9 MW. It generates roughly 6.1k MWh per year — enough to power about 581 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 9% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 1259 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.
Ghost bars are each month's theoretical maximum (7.9 MW nameplate × hours in the month). Filled bars are actual net generation reported to EIA Form 923. The gap between them is capacity factor made visible.
| Plant Name | Archer Daniels Midland Des Moines |
|---|---|
| Operator | Archer Daniels Midland Co |
| City | Des Moines |
| County | Polk County |
| State | Iowa |
| ZIP | 50316 |
| Coordinates | 41.62444, -93.58451 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GEN1 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | Natural Gas | 7.9 MW | Operating | 1988 |
| CO₂ | 3.8k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 16 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 5 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 1259 lb/MWh |
Annual totals and CO₂ rate reported by EPA eGRID for 2023. Reference averages are approximate U.S.-wide figures from the same dataset.
| NERC Region | MRO |
|---|---|
| Balancing Authority | Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. |
Coal plants burn pulverized coal to boil water and spin steam turbines. They emit substantial CO₂, SO₂, and NOₓ along with mercury and particulate matter. Modern units include scrubbers and selective catalytic reduction; older units are increasingly being retired or converted to natural gas as economics shift.