EMERY STATION
OperatingNatural Gas power plant
- Capacity
- 603 MW
- Primary fuel
- Natural Gas
- County
- Cerro Gordo County
- Operator
- INTERSTATE POWER AND LIGHT CO
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2004
- EIA plant ID
- 8031
- Generators
- 3
- Technology
- Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle
- Net generation (2024)
- 2,357 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 45%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 43.0943, -93.2937
EMERY STATION, a 603 MW Natural Gas power plant in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa. Operated by INTERSTATE POWER AND LIGHT CO, commissioned 2004.
How EMERY STATION compares
With 603 MW of capacity, EMERY STATION ranks 6th among the 198 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Iowa and is the largest of the 22 operating Natural Gas plants in the state. It accounts for about 24% of Iowa's operating Natural Gas capacity and 3.9% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 256th-largest of the 1,185 operating Natural Gas plants in the database. Commissioned in 2004, it is newer than 62% of the 198 operating Iowa plants with a recorded commissioning year. Its operator, INTERSTATE POWER AND LIGHT CO, runs 8 operating plants in Iowa totaling 2,312 MW. It shares Cerro Gordo County with 2 other operating plants, LIME CREEK and HAWKEYE POWER PARTNERS LLC.
EIA-860 lists 3 generators at the site with 603 MW of nameplate capacity, all natural gas fired combined cycle technology. Net generation was 2,357 GWh in 2024 (a 45% capacity factor), up 32% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 161 kV line owned by MIDAMERICAN ENERGY CO, under 0.1 miles away. Another 13 operating power plants totaling 618 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is BARTON WINDPOWER LLC (160 MW, Wind).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
EMERY STATION is a 603 MW natural gas power plant in Cerro Gordo County, IA, operated by INTERSTATE POWER AND LIGHT CO, commissioned in 2004. Cerro Gordo County carries moderate modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 2.4 of 5 at the 36th national percentile. Tornado is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 97th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a natural gas plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Cerro Gordo County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 97th | 4.9 of 5 | 0.54 |
| Heat wave | Very Low | 90th | 4.6 of 5 | 3.4 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 72nd | 3.9 of 5 | 2.2 |
| Winter weather | Relatively High | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | 20.1 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 60th | 3.4 of 5 | 3.9 |
| Lightning | Very Low | 43rd | 2.7 of 5 | 41.1 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 41st | 2.6 of 5 | 4.6 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Low | 39th | 2.6 of 5 | 0.58 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 22nd | 1.9 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Earthquake | Very Low | 12th | 1.5 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 2nd | 1.1 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Cerro Gordo County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Cerro Gordo County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.