Preston (Ia)

🛢 OilElectric Utility3 MW capacity

214th largest plant in Iowa · 8730th nationally

Preston (Ia) is a oil power plant in Iowa with a nameplate capacity of 3.6 MW. It generates roughly 54 MWh per year — enough to power about 5 average U.S. homes.

Its capacity factor of 0% reflects intermittent or peaking operation. At 1993 lb CO₂/MWh, its emission rate sits above the national grid average of roughly 800 lb/MWh.

PeakingMid-meritBaseload0%40%80%100%0%
Peaking — intermittent or backup
Capacity4 MWnameplate
Annual Generation54 MWhEPA eGRID
Capacity Factor0%of theoretical max
Annual CO₂54metric tons

Location

Plant NamePreston (Ia)
OperatorCity Of Preston
CityPreston
CountyJackson County
StateIowa
ZIP52069
Coordinates42.05070, -90.39420

This plant highlighted in navy-ringed pin; other generators within 25 miles shown as fuel-colored dots.

NuclearNatural GasCoalOilHydroelectricSolar

Generators (4)

IDTechnologyFuelCapacityStatusOnline
4Natural Gas Internal Combustion EngineNatural Gas1.8 MWOperating1980
5Petroleum LiquidsDistillate Oil1.8 MWOperating2020
1Petroleum LiquidsDistillate Oil0.7 MWRetired1968
2Petroleum LiquidsDistillate Oil0.7 MWRetired1968

Emissions (annual)

CO₂54 metric tons
NOₓ1 metric tons
CO₂ Rate1993 lb/MWh
U.S. grid average800 lb/MWhNatural gas combined-cycle average900 lb/MWhThis plant1,992 lb/MWhCoal plant average2,100 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.

Grid context

NERC RegionMRO
Balancing AuthorityMidcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc..

About Oil plants

Oil-fired plants typically run only during peak demand or grid emergencies because oil is expensive compared to gas and coal. They have the highest CO₂ emissions per MWh of any common generation technology.

Other plants in Jackson County

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