Iola — United States of America
Oil power plant in Kansas, United States of America. Approximate location 37.9231, -95.4256.
OilKansasUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled
Iola is a 23.5 MW oil power plant in Kansas, United States of America. It is operated by City of Iola - (KS). Based on reported annual generation of 1 GWh, it can supply roughly 171 homes. It ranks #4493 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1985, it is around 41 years old — long-established. Its modelled annual emissions are 27,206 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 6.3k cars driven for a year. In context, oil supplies about 0.7% 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 USA0001291.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 23.5 MW, Iola is well above the median oil plant in United States of America (7.2 MW). Oil-fired plants burn heavy fuel oil or diesel, usually as peaking or backup capacity on islands and grids without gas pipelines; high fuel cost keeps their utilisation low.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
~27,206 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 0%, from 1 GWh of reported generation, in line with the 0% median for 469 oil plants in United States of America
- Generation trend
- 2 GWh in 2013 and 1 GWh in 2019 (−60%)
- Highest and lowest year
- 2013: 2 GWh; 2017: 0 GWh
- Share of United States of America oil capacity
- less than 0.1% of 40,022 MW across 902 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 310 of 877 dated oil 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 City of Iola - (KS).
Local climate & thermal context
This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 37.9°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 1% below 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: 50/100 — this site sits in the mid 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness 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 #190 largest oil power plant of 902 in United States of America by capacity.
United States of America has 902 oil power plants in this dataset, together about 40,022 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Prairie Queen Wind Farm · Wind · 199.3 MW · Kansas
- Chanute 2 · Gas · 64 MW · Kansas
- Chanute 3 · Gas · 34.8 MW · Kansas
- Burlington (KS) · Gas · 11.4 MW · Kansas
- Garnett Municipal · Oil · 11.7 MW · Kansas
- Wolf Creek Generating Station · Nuclear · 1,285 MW · Kansas
Location
Coordinates 37.9231, -95.4256 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Iola?
Iola is a 23.5 MW oil power plant in Kansas, United States of America, commissioned in 1985.
How much electricity does Iola generate?
Iola generates about 1 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Iola?
Iola is operated by City of Iola - (KS).
How much CO₂ does Iola emit?
Iola has modelled emissions of about 27,206 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).