T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY – Alliant Energy’s Sutherland Station falls during demolition Thursday morning. The iconic building — a fixture in Marshalltown for nearly seven decades — collapsed in a matter of seconds.

A multi-story metal and brick-clad building which towered over nearby corn and soybean fields powering thousands of Marshalltown-area businesses and homes with electricity collapsed into a giant cloud of dust Thursday morning.

Alliant Energy’s Sutherland Generating Station, in the 3000 block of East Main St., fell in a planned implosion coordinated by a professional demolition crews.

Having stood guard to nearby farm fields and Sand Lake for more than 60 years, it fell in a matter of seconds.

It had been closed since June 30, 2017, following the opening of nearby Marshalltown Generating Station which went online April 1, 2017. It too is owned by Alliant.

Sutherland, a coal-fired facility owned initially by Iowa Electric Co. with its trademark smokestacks, began operations with much local fanfare on Aug. 1. 1955.

It was named for Sutherland Dows, once chairman of the board for Iowa Electric Co., said Mike Wagner of Alliant.

More excitement was generated in 1956, when locals witnessed a second unit go online.

“At that time, 4,000-5,000 people came out to see the plant,” said Justin Foss of Alliant. “This station represented a $12 million dollar investment. It first ran on natural gas, then, switched to coal a couple years later. It ended its run by running on natural gas. At first, the two units produced around 30 megawatts each, for a total of 60 megawatts.”

The economic impact of Sutherland Station over six decades was significant. In 2014 it generated approximately $1.4 million in property taxes, according to T-R archives.

This was in addition to wages and benefits paid and goods and services purchased.

“In 1958, we started adding a third unit,” Foss said. “This produced 82.5 megawatts at a cost of $14 million. This unit used a cyclone-type furnace boiler. It was cutting-edge and the first of its kind installed west of the Mississippi River. This third unit was dedicated in June 1962. As with most pieces of equipment built in those days, this was built like a tank. While that allowed it to last a long time, it also made it hard to upgrade to more modern technology and become more efficient.”

At its peak, Sutherland Station employed more than 60. But over the years the number dropped. In 2011 only about 15 were necessary.

The retirement of Sutherland in 2017 was consistent with Alliant’s initiatives to advance clean energy.

Approximately 30 percent of the company’s fossil-fueled generation capacity has been retired since 2005.

The new generating station is “twice as efficient” as Sutherland Station, Foss said.

“That represents a significant benefit to customers and the environment.”

It is also by far the biggest economic development project in Marshalltown’s history and one of the most significant ever in Central Iowa.

For more than 2.5 years the economic impact was chart-busting, with $50 million spent in the Marshalltown area by contractors and workers, according to Alliant officials.

At its peak, 1,200 construction workers were on site.

“The MGS will make the state’s air cleaner for decades while creating good-paying jobs in Iowa,” said Alliant Vice-President for Regulatory Affairs Joel Schmidt.

The 650-megawatt, combined-cycle, natural gas-fired facility is powering more than 500,000 homes in Marshalltown and points beyond.

“When Sutherland was built, it was a state-of-the art facility and our employees did a tremendous job maintaining and operating it for decades on behalf of our customers,” Terry Kouba, President of Alliant Energy said.

The demolition was carried out by Bierlien Companies of Midland, Mich. and Dykon Blasting Corp; of Tulsa, Okla.

Wagner said 99 percent of the brick and metal will be recycled.

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Contact Mike Donahey at

641-753-6611 or

mdonahey@timesrepublican.com