George Neal South — United States of America

George Neal South is a 695.9 MW coal power station in Iowa, United States of America. It is operated by MidAmerican Energy Co. Based on reported annual generation of 1,544 GWh, it can supply roughly 441k homes. It ranks #909 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1979, it is around 47 years old — long-established. In context, coal supplies about 16.3% of United States of America's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (43.0% low-carbon) (2025).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0007343.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103911; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 695.9 MW, George Neal South is well above the median coal plant in United States of America (558 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Key facts

Load factor

25%, from 1,544 GWh of reported generation; the median for 244 coal plants in United States of America that report generation is 41%

Generation trend

3,088 GWh in 2013 and 1,544 GWh in 2019 (−50%)

Highest and lowest year

2014: 4,323 GWh; 2019: 1,544 GWh

Share of United States of America coal capacity

0.1% of 621,194 MW across 802 plants in this dataset

Age among peers

435 of 745 dated coal plants in United States of America are older

Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).

Reported generation trend

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by MidAmerican Energy Co. All plants by this company →

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

Heating degree-days here run 44% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 77/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #333 largest coal power plant of 802 in United States of America by capacity.

United States of America has 802 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 621,194 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• George Neal North · Coal · 584.1 MW · Iowa
• George Neal Station South · Coal · 695.9 MW · Nebraska
• George Neal Station North · Coal · 1,080.3 MW · Nebraska
• South Sioux City Solar · Solar · 2.3 MW · Nebraska
• Emerson · Gas · 1.6 MW · Nebraska
• Pender · Gas · 4.9 MW · Nebraska

Location

Coordinates 42.3006, -96.3617 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions