Powering the Future
Reliability. Affordability. Flexibility. Sustainability. These are more than just words on a page — they represent MPW’s fundamental responsibilities to our community.
Our Strategy
Evolve our power supply to maintain reliability, reduce environmental impact, optimize cost and risk, and meet customers’ evolving needs.
Through ongoing power supply studies, completed by industry experts, MPW staff and leadership have developed our Powering the Future strategy to set a bold new path for local power generation, and the utility’s critical position in the national electric grid. Some specific objectives are still being studied and vetted, but the direction is clear—MPW will continue to expand its portfolio of renewables and has set aggressive targets for lower carbon emissions as long as it follows the balanced approach.
Multiple factors will drive decision-making about MPW’s future energy portfolio.
In planning MPW’s future power supply, we are using a balanced approach to evaluating options based on four factors— reliability, affordability, flexibility, and sustainability. While each is important, prioritizing a single element above the other three would significantly compromise effective solutions.
MPW’s Strategy Continues to Evolve
In addition to professional power supply studies and government policy and incentives, feedback from customers plays a huge role in decision-making.
Taking all that into consideration, MPW recommends:
Reliability
MPW’s award-winning reliability is no accident. Our reinvestment in local generating assets, transmission and distribution infrastructure, animal protection protocols, and investment in staff training and education keeps Muscatine’s lights on. Despite the continuing changes in how power is generated and transmitted across the grid, MPW continues to maintain high reliability statistics.
2025 Reliability Stats
MPW’s reliability continues to be recognized at the highest level. Once again, in 2025, the American Public Power Association (APPA) designated the Utility as a Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3©).
Average Power Outage Duration
System Average Interruption Duration
Average Interruptions per Customer
System Average Interruption Frequency
Power Available to Customers
Average System Reliability
Affordability
MPW has consistently provided power at rates below state and national averages and any plan must consider affordability, so we are ever mindful about the impact any change in power generation will have on customers’ utility bills. As a non-profit organization, our primary goal is to provide reliable and cost-effective utility services to our customers—not profits for shareholders.
MPW is singularly focused on the Muscatine area. Unlike other large utility companies, we don’t have to compete with other divisions for resources or sacrifice local priorities.
This structure allows MPW to focus on minimizing costs and passing on savings to customers. We are continually investing in utility infrastructure, and where possible, pursuing partnerships with the City of Muscatine to realize efficiencies and cost savings on mutually beneficial projects.
A Balanced Approach
As one of the key factors in our balanced approach to Power the Future, affordability must be considered equally in the strategy and implementation, along with reliability, flexibility, and sustainability. For example, sustainability is often cited as a priority for some, and while it is one of our considerations, it cannot overpower other factors like reliability and affordability.
This graphic provides a great comparison of how a 100% renewable approach would affect customers’ bills as opposed to a balanced mix of energy sources.
Important Notes:
- Transmission costs to interconnect new generation are indeterminable; however, it could cost tens of millions for a 100% renewable option. As a result, related pricing is based on not putting excess renewable generation on grid.
- The feasibility of a green-hydrogen-fueled combined heat and power unit is highly uncertain—the technology is not available at this time.
- All amounts are estimated and subject to assumptions; however, the magnitude of the increased rates is anticipated.
Flexibility
The energy industry is undergoing considerable change. In the coming years, emerging technologies will fundamentally change how power is produced. That’s why we’re keeping an “open” portion in our power generation portfolio. A flexible supply of energy sources is vital to adapting to these changes and allows MPW to secure energy at the lowest possible price for our customers.
Whether we purchase power out of the market, or produce our own, we are able to pivot to provide the lowest rates possible, while maintaining reliability.
Sustainability
Renewable power generation will play a significant role in the future. At MPW, we are embracing this transformational change in the energy industry by investing in Muscatine Solar 1—MPW’s first utility-scale solar array. Permitting for interconnecting the solar array energy output to the electric grid is underway. Significant delays with the permitting evaluation has help up the start of construction; MPW continues to work with Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to obtain necessary permits and commence the project.
Our Solar 1 Partners
A Reduced Environmental Impact
To reduce MPW’s environmental impact, bold goals were set to reduce emissions 25% by 2024 and 65% by 2030.
MPW’s existing generation fleet will transition to a lower carbon-emitting portfolio. Units 7 and 8 have transitioned to “peaking units” which only run when needed to meet grid load. These operational changes helped MPW achieve both its 25% and 65% reduction goals in 2024.
The retirements of Units 7 and 8, the addition of Muscatine Solar 1, and a natural gas-fired CHP unit will help further reduce carbon emissions.