The City of Ames Electric Services has been serving residents since 1896, when the citizens of Ames voted in favor of constructing a municipal power plant. Today, the municipal utility provides service to over 28,000 customers.

Electricity is generated from the power plant on the east end of Main Street. The power plant has two generation units in service – Unit 7 and Unit 8. Unit 7 generates up to 35 megawatts (MW) by burning Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) from municipal solid waste and natural gas. As garbage and fuel have changed over the years, this process has begun its phase-out. Burning RDF today leads to costly repairs, longer downtimes, and decreased reliability in our equipment. Unit 8 burns only natural gas and has a maximum capacity of 72 MW.

From your lights to your outlets, we build, operate, and maintain the generation, transmission, and distribution system that powers daily life in Ames. We are proud to serve our customers every day. In the words of our director, Don Kom, “The people we serve are more than customers – they are our residents, family, friends, and neighbors.”

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