Sycamore (IA)
Polk County, Iowa · EIA plant ID 8029 · Operator: MidAmerican Energy Co
Nameplate158MWSummer 141 MW
Generators2in service
Net generation30GWh12 mo to Dec 2025
Capacity factor2%gas/coal/oil units, summer MW
Heat rate19,874Btu/kWhfossil units, electric fuel, HHV
First online1974Runs as rarely runs
Monthly net generation
EIA-923, all units at the plant. Net of station use; storage can go negative.
FinalPreliminary
Capacity factor by year
Net MWh ÷ (summer MW × hours), gas/coal/oil units. Each year uses that year's EIA-860 ratings; the hollow dot is the latest 12 months.
Heat rate by year
Electric fuel MMBtu × 1000 ÷ net MWh (Btu/kWh, HHV), fossil units only; CT + CA counted as one combined-cycle block.
Annual data table
| Year | Net GWh | Capacity factor | Heat rate (Btu/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 37.7 | 2.9% | 17,117 |
| 2002 | 19.9 | 1.5% | 18,003 |
| 2003 | 13.4 | 1.0% | 19,874 |
| 2004 | 6.1 | 0.5% | 21,727 |
| 2005 | 5.5 | 0.4% | 16,083 |
| 2006 | 6.6 | 0.5% | 21,596 |
| 2007 | 5.1 | 0.4% | 19,815 |
| 2008 | -0.1 | -0.0% | — |
| 2009 | 4.2 | 0.3% | — |
| 2010 | 43.8 | 3.2% | 21,465 |
| 2011 | 23.7 | 1.8% | 22,347 |
| 2012 | 9.8 | 0.8% | 20,645 |
| 2013 | 6.2 | 0.5% | 22,994 |
| 2014 | 2.8 | 0.2% | 21,151 |
| 2015 | 1.5 | 0.1% | 27,044 |
| 2016 | 7.6 | 0.6% | 19,885 |
| 2017 | 1.3 | 0.1% | 26,977 |
| 2018 | 4.6 | 0.4% | 23,280 |
| 2019 | 1.3 | 0.1% | 25,690 |
| 2020 | 2.3 | 0.2% | 25,952 |
| 2021 | 8.9 | 0.7% | 19,619 |
| 2022 | 4.8 | 0.4% | 18,641 |
| 2023 | 10.7 | 0.8% | 16,085 |
| 2024 | 9.5 | 0.8% | 16,248 |
| 2025 | 30.5 | 2.5% | 19,874 |
Fuel capability
Gas-fired turbines (CT/GT/CA/CS) that can also burn liquid fuel. EIA-860 Schedule 3 for capability, EIA-923 for actual burn.
StatusLikely still dual fuel
Liquid fuel burned · 36 mo451 MMBtu
Last month with liquid burnDec 2023
Switch while operatingYes
Net summer MW on gas141
Net summer MW on oil141
Time gas → oilup to 1 h (EIA 1H)
Time oil → gasup to 1 h (EIA 1H)
Generators
EIA-860 (annual) with EIA-860M updates through Sep 2026. EIA-923 reports generation by plant, prime mover and fuel, not by unit, so unit-level output isn't shown.
| Gen ID | Technology | Prime mover | Nameplate MW | Summer MW | Online | Status | Planned retirement | OEM / model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 78.8 | 70.1 | Aug 1974 | Operating | — | coming soon |
| 2 | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | GT | 78.8 | 70.5 | Nov 1974 | Operating | — | coming soon |
Owner / operator
Operator: MidAmerican Energy Co. Ownership shares by in-service nameplate MW (EIA-860 Schedule 4; units not listed there are wholly owned by the operator).
| MidAmerican Energy Co | 100.0% | 158 MW |
Nearby plants
Within 80 km.
| Archer Daniels Midland Des Moines | 8 MW | 9.3 km |
| River Hills | 128 MW | 10.3 km |
| Anderson Erickson | 2 MW | 11.5 km |
| Des Moines Wastewater Reclamation Fac | 3 MW | 14.8 km |
| Greater Des Moines | 576 MW | 17.9 km |
| Pleasant Hill | 180 MW | 18 km |