Greater Des Moines
Natural gas power plant in Polk County, Iowa. 576.3 MW of nameplate capacity across 3 generators, operated by MidAmerican Energy Co.
Also known as Greater Des Moines Energy Center · EIA plant 7985
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Key facts
- Capacity
- 576.3 MWNameplate
- Generators
- 3 operatingEIA-860M, August 2026
- Operating since
- May 2003First generator online
- Operator
- MidAmerican Energy CoEIA operator ID 12341
- Grid
- MISOBalancing authority MISO
- Price nodes
- 6 MISO nodesResource nodes with prices
- Location
- Polk County, IA41.5563, −93.5283
- EIA plant ID
- 7985EIA plant page
Data as of EIA-860M August 2026 (published 2026-09-24). Capacity is nameplate, not live output.
How much power Greater Des Moines produces
Free · EIA-923Net generation, 2025
1.85 TWh
1,850,576 MWh, final
Capacity factor, 2025
36.7%
2024: 43.0%
January to July 2026
Not reported
Provisional. 0 of 7 months reported
Range, 2016 to 2025
0.3–2.2
TWh a year. Low 2017, high 2024
| Year | Net generation, MWh | Capacity factor | Months reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2001 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2002 | Not reported | Not reported | 0 of 12 |
| 2003 | 34,199 | Not reported | 7 of 12 |
| 2004 | 149,024 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2005 | 679,033 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2006 | 817,115 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2007 | 1,101,195 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2008 | 1,043,125 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2009 | 338,376 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2010 | 448,904 | 8.9% | 12 of 12 |
| 2011 | 257,786 | 5.1% | 12 of 12 |
| 2012 | 541,940 | 10.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2013 | 215,258 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2014 | 79,271 | 1.6% | 12 of 12 |
| 2015 | 177,495 | 3.8% | 11 of 12 |
| 2016 | 507,176 | 10.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2017 | 337,388 | 6.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2018 | 638,948 | 12.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2019 | 438,642 | 8.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2020 | 672,305 | 13.3% | 12 of 12 |
| 2021 | 1,361,516 | Not reported | 12 of 12 |
| 2022 | 1,475,295 | 29.2% | 12 of 12 |
| 2023 | 2,141,226 | 42.4% | 12 of 12 |
| 2024 | 2,178,470 | 43.0% | 12 of 12 |
| 2025 | 1,850,576 | 36.7% | 12 of 12 |
| 2026 (provisional, partial year) | Not reported | Not reported | 0 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
763,222
US short tons. 2024: 931,630
SO₂, 2025
4
US short tons
NOx, 2025
52
US short tons
CO₂ per MWh, calculated
0.41 t
About 825 lb per MWh
2 of 2 EPA units reported CO₂ in 2025 (1, 2), matched to EIA plant 7985 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
327
million gallons
Consumption, 2024
251
million gallons
Source
City Water
Other, Fresh. Induced-draft tower
Watershed stress
Low · 0.251
USGS SUI, HUC12 Yeader Creek-Des Moines River
12 of 12 cooling months report withdrawal. SUI of the HUC12 containing the plant. Blank volumes are unreported, not zero.
Generators
Free · EIA-860M| Generator | Technology | Nameplate MW | Online since |
|---|---|---|---|
| GT1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 190.4 | May 2003 |
| GT2 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 190.4 | May 2003 |
| ST1 | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 195.5 | December 2004 |
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 MidAmerican Energy 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 Greater Des Moines
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Questions about Greater Des Moines
How much power does Greater Des Moines produce?
Greater Des Moines reported 1,850,576 MWh (1.85 TWh) of net generation in 2025, a 36.7% capacity factor on 576.3 MW of nameplate capacity.
Where is Greater Des Moines?
Greater Des Moines is in Polk County, Iowa, at 41.5563, −93.5283. It is in the Midcontinent Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.. balancing area (MISO).
Who operates Greater Des Moines?
EIA-860M for August 2026 lists MidAmerican Energy Co as the operator (EIA operator ID 12341). The operator is not always the owner.
When did Greater Des Moines start operating?
Its first generator began operating in May 2003, according to EIA-860M.
Does InfraMap have power prices for Greater Des Moines?
Yes. InfraMap has MISO day-ahead and real-time prices at 6 price nodes linked to Greater Des Moines, 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