Muscatine Plant #1 — United States of America

Muscatine Plant #1 is a 293.5 MW coal power station in Iowa, United States of America. It is operated by Board of Water Electric & Communications. Based on reported annual generation of 695 GWh, it can supply roughly 199k homes. It ranks #1615 of 10,884 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1978, it is around 48 years old — long-established. Its annual emissions of 679,622 t CO₂/yr (US EPA GHGRP) are equivalent to about 158k cars driven for a year. 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 USA0001167.

Capacity provenance

The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 250 MW for Muscatine Generating Station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103915; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

At 293.5 MW, Muscatine Plant #1 is below 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.

679,622 t CO₂/yr — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; emissions per US EPA GHGRP (measured for US EPA/EU ETS, modelled for Climate TRACE).

Key facts

Load factor

27%, from 695 GWh of reported generation; the median for 244 coal plants in United States of America that report generation is 41%

Generation trend

1,068 GWh in 2013 and 695 GWh in 2019 (−35%)

Highest and lowest year

2013: 1,068 GWh; 2019: 695 GWh

Share of United States of America coal capacity

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

Age among peers

422 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 Board of Water Electric & Communications.

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 41.4°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 35% 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: 71/100 — 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 #526 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

• Muscatine Generating Station · Coal · 250 MW · Iowa
• Louisa · Coal · 811.9 MW · Iowa
• Louisa Generating Station · Coal · 811.9 MW · Iowa
• Fair Station · Coal · 37.5 MW · Iowa
• Wilton · Oil · 9.2 MW · Iowa
• Eastern Iowa Solar · Solar · 1.8 MW · Iowa

Location

Coordinates 41.3917, -91.0569 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions