Alliant’s new Cedar Rapids generating station to be operational by mid-2027

CEDAR RAPIDS — Alliant Energy will start construction on a new power plant in Cedar Rapids — called the Cedar River Generating Station — next year, aiming to have the plant fully operational by mid-2027.

Taylor Adams, senior communications specialist with Alliant Energy, said the Iowa Utilities Commission in June approved the company’s application to build the facility.

Adams said the facility will be sited within the boundary of Alliant’s Prairie Creek Generating Station — near C Street Southwest in Cedar Rapids — which will cease coal operations by the end of 2025.

“The development of the Cedar River Generating Station underscores our commitment to a balanced energy approach,” Alliant said in a statement. “This project will support customer demand while still delivering cost-effective energy and complementing our investments in renewables to ensure optimal reliability and security.”

The Cedar River Generating Station is not the same project as the natural gas-fired power plant that Alliant had been considering building in Fairfax and now is evaluating alternative sites for construction.

Adams said the Cedar River facility will have five reciprocating internal combustion engine units that will have the capacity to generate 94 megawatts.

Alliant said that reciprocating internal combustion engines, which they refer to as “RICE” units, would provide improved efficiency at the facility by quickly ramping up or decreasing the amount of energy generated as demand fluctuates.

According to Alliant’s website, the RICE units complement resources like wind and solar, which produce energy intermittently.

“A reciprocating internal combustion engine is similar to a car engine but on a much larger scale, and instead of being coupled with the transmission, the engine is coupled with an electric generator to produce power,” Alliant said on their website. “This generating facility can start and stop quickly many times a day to meet real-time energy needs,” which improves efficiency and flexibility.

Adams said Alliant does not yet have a specific number of how many jobs the plant will create.

“The Cedar River Generating Station project is part of our efforts to deliver safe and reliable energy while keeping customer bills as low as possible so we can meet energy needs today and tomorrow,” Alliant said. “As the electric grid evolves, we are integrating new technologies like RICE systems and battery storage, along with existing resources like wind, solar and traditional systems.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. She is also a contributing writer for the Ag and Water Desk, an independent journalism collaborative focusing on the Mississippi River Basin.

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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com