Pella Peaking

Oil power plant in Iowa, United States of America. Approximate location 41.4106, -92.9378.

OilIowaUnited States of AmericaCO₂ modelled

Pella Peaking is a 28 MW oil power plant in Iowa, United States of America. It is operated by City of Pella - (IA). Based on reported annual generation of 0 GWh, it can supply roughly 85 homes. It ranks #4379 of 10,938 United States of America power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2003, it is around 23 years old — relatively modern. Its modelled annual emissions are 18,392 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 4.3k 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).

28Source-backed capacity
0GWh reported / yr
85homes powered
18,392t CO₂ / yr (Climate TRACE)
2003commissioned (~23 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id USA0007971.

Data status

Known data

FacilityPella Peaking WRI
CountryUnited States of America · Iowa WRI
Coordinates41.4106, -92.9378 WRI
FuelOil WRI
MW installed capacity28 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerCity of Pella - (IA) WRI
Commissioned2003 WRI
GWh reported / yr0 GWh/yr WRI

Modelled source data

CO₂ emissions18,392 t CO₂/yr modelled · Climate TRACE

Calculated from dataset

Capacity rank in country#4379 of 10938 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#160 of 902 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.89× · 7 MW median · 902 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent85 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.1°C · HDD 3,322 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 33/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

TechnologyNot available not in dataset
GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: Wikidata P2109 nameplate capacity; fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 28 MW, Pella Peaking is well above the median oil plant in United States of America (7 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.

~18,392 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms

This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:

4.3kpassenger cars driven for a year
2.4khomes' yearly energy use
307ktree seedlings grown 10 years to absorb it

Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.

Reported generation trend

2013: 0 GWh20132014: 0 GWh20142015: 0 GWh20152016: 2 GWh20162017: 2 GWh20172018: 0 GWh20182019: 0 GWh20192 GWh

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

Owner

Operated by City of Pella - (IA).

Local climate & thermal context

This oil plant burns oil or diesel to drive turbines or reciprocating engines. 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.

10.1°Cannual mean temp
3,322heating degree-days (base 18°C)
466cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
240 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -6 °CJF: -3 °CFM: 4 °CMA: 10 °CAM: 17 °CMJ: 22 °CJJ: 24 °CJA: 23 °CAS: 18 °CSO: 12 °CON: 4 °CND: -3 °CD24 °C

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

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with thermal cycling the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
30.3°Cseasonal temperature swing
659 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

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 #160 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

Location

Coordinates 41.4106, -92.9378 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Pella Peaking?

Pella Peaking is a 28 MW source-record oil power plant in Iowa, United States of America, commissioned in 2003.

How much electricity does Pella Peaking generate?

Pella Peaking generates about 0 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Pella Peaking power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 85 homes.

Who operates Pella Peaking?

Pella Peaking is operated by City of Pella - (IA).

How much CO₂ does Pella Peaking emit?

Pella Peaking has modelled emissions of about 18,392 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).

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