Prairie Creek
Natural gas and coal power plant in Linn County, Iowa. 198.8 MW of nameplate capacity across 2 generators, operated by Interstate Power and Light Co.
Also known as Prairie Creek Generating Station · EIA plant 1073
Analyst: free account, 1 question a day.
Key facts
- Capacity
- 198.8 MWNatural gas 148.8 · Coal 50.0
- Generators
- 2 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- October 1958First generator online
- Operator
- Interstate Power and Light CoEIA operator ID 9417
- Grid
- MISOBalancing authority MISO
- Price nodes
- 2 MISO nodesResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Linn County, IA41.9440, −91.6392
- EIA plant ID
- 1073EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Prairie Creek produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
95.3 GWh
95,272 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
Not reported
2024: 3.6%
January to July 2026
12.0 GWh
Provisional
Range, 2015 to 2025
43.2–322.3
GWh a year. Low 2019, high 2017
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 935,783 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2001 | 992,590 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2002 | 861,343 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2003 | 842,146 | Not reported | 10 of 12 |
| 2004 | 941,969 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 918,004 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 720,814 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 833,771 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 329,406 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 44,354 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 731,356 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 550,340 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 558,877 | 29.8% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 457,158 | 24.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 239,871 | 39.0% | 4 of 12 |
| 2015 | 308,279 | 16.5% | 12 of 12 |
| 2016 | 322,113 | 17.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 322,319 | 17.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 130,674 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 43,205 | 2.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 48,756 | 2.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 82,885 | 4.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 129,778 | 6.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 81,646 | 4.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 67,646 | 3.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 95,272 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | 12,046 | Not reported | 7 of 7 |
* 2026 covers January to July and is provisional. Capacity factor is net generation divided by nameplate capacity times the hours of each reported month.
Power prices and basis
Free account · MISOEmissions
Free · EPA CAMPDCO₂, 2025
327,123
US short tons. 2024: 304,940
SO₂, 2025
938
US short tons
NOx, 2025
505
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
3.43 t
About 6,867 lb per MWh
2 of 2 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (3, 4), matched to EIA plant 1073 through the EPA–EIA crosswalk. The per-MWh rate is EPA CO₂ divided by EIA-923 net generation. The two reporting boundaries can differ.
Water use
Free · EIA-923 cooling, USGSWithdrawal, 2024
18,860
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
0
million gallons
Source
Cedar River
Surface, Fresh. Once-through
Watershed stress
Low · 0.226
USGS SUI, HUC12 Outlet Prairie Creek
24 of 24 cooling months report withdrawal. SUI of the source river HUC12 within 3 km. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Conventional Steam Coal | 50.0 | October 1958 |
| 4 | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 148.8 | April 1967 |
Ownership and offtake
ProOwnership and offtake are part of Pro
Owners and their shares, parent companies, and power purchase agreements with their buyers. EIA-860M lists Interstate Power and Light Co as the operator, which is not always the owner.
Modeled data
ProPro adds modeled values for this plant. Everything above stays free.
Generation potential vs reported
Monthly potential at seasonal net capability, next to EIA-923 output. Shows how much of the plant's capability was used.
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Power plants near Prairie Creek
More plants operated by Interstate Power and Light Co
Questions about Prairie Creek
How much power does Prairie Creek produce?
Prairie Creek reported 95,272 MWh (95.3 GWh) of net generation in 2025. From January to July 2026 it reported 12.0 GWh, which is provisional.
Where is Prairie Creek?
Prairie Creek is in Linn County, Iowa, at 41.9440, −91.6392. It is in the Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. balancing area (MISO).
Who operates Prairie Creek?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists Interstate Power and Light Co as the operator (EIA operator ID 9417). The operator is not always the owner.
Is Prairie Creek a natural gas or a coal plant?
Both. Natural gas capacity totals 148.8 MW and coal capacity totals 50 MW.
When did Prairie Creek start operating?
Its first generator began operating in October 1958, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Prairie Creek?
Yes. InfraMap has MISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 2 price nodes linked to Prairie Creek, with the hub price and node-to-hub basis. Prices are free with an InfraMap account; pricing node names are part of InfraMap Pro.
Sources
- EIA-860 2025 (final) and EIA-860M August 2026: plant, generators, capacity, operator and location
- EIA-923 monthly net generation, 2000 to July 2026 (2026 provisional)
- EPA CAMPD annual emissions through the EPA–EIA crosswalk, 1995 to 2025
- MISO day-ahead and real-time prices; node and hub assignments as of 2026-10-05
- EIA-923 cooling water 2024 and the USGS surface water supply and use index, Water years 2010-2020 (Oct 2009 to Sep 2020), mean of monthly values
- Plant names from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
Page updated 2026-10-04 from the InfraMap data build. Methodology · Data sources · EIA plant page