20th largest plant in Iowa · 1095th nationally
Muscatine Plant #1 is a coal power plant in Iowa with a nameplate capacity of 294 MW. It generates roughly 538.9k MWh per year — enough to power about 51,324 average U.S. homes.
Its capacity factor of 21% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 1283 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 (294 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 | Muscatine Plant #1 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Board Of Water Electric & Communications |
| City | Muscatine |
| County | Muscatine County |
| State | Iowa |
| ZIP | 52761 |
| Coordinates | 41.39170, -91.05690 |
This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.
| ID | Technology | Fuel | Capacity | Status | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 176 MW | Operating | 1983 |
| 8 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 75.0 MW | Operating | 1969 |
| 10 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | Natural Gas | 35.0 MW | Approved | — |
| 7 | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 25.0 MW | Operating | 1958 |
| 8A | Conventional Steam Coal | Subbituminous Coal | 18.0 MW | Retired | 2000 |
| CO₂ | 345.8k metric tons |
|---|---|
| SO₂ | 85 metric tons |
| NOₓ | 385 metric tons |
| CO₂ Rate | 1283 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.