Energy Systems Design-Build Construction and General Contractor
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Carl A. Nelson & Company's skilled team of builders and project managers ensures the successful completion of your power generation and energy distribution projects. Trust us to deliver efficient, reliable, and sustainable solutions that meet your organization's evolving needs.
Carl A. Nelson & Company has honed those skills over the last 100-plus years and has a successful track record of providing a high level of service and quality construction for customers in the electric energy production market, including power house construction, generator foundations, turbine installation, as well as related services such as steam tunnel excavation and construction, cooling tower installation and more.
As an experienced contractor in the design-build and general contractor methods of construction project delivery, we understand the constraints and priorities of power plants and work with the plant staff to ensure that operations of the facility are not hindered by our efforts. With this understanding, we perform major parts of the work with our own forces to better manage planned shut downs and greatly reduce the risk of unintended and extended power loss for the client.
Having a professional and highly trained work force, which allows us to self-perform much of the work we contract for annually, Carl A. Nelson & Company is the best choice for your next power generation or other energy system project.


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• What is Design-Build? How does it work? Find out more here.
Our Power Plants & Energy Systems Project Portfolio
At Carl A. Nelson & Company, our energy systems experience includes power house construction, turbine installation, coal-handling systems and foundations, as well as cooling tower installation, excavation and construction of steam tunnels and utility tunnels, upgrading coal-handling systems and helping power plant owners to meet current environmental standards for air quality compliance.
Some examples of Carl A. Nelson & Company's project history in the power systems and energy generation marketplace can be found on this page.
Power Plant projects featured in wibi newsletter
Carl A. Nelson & Company's experience in energy systems and power plants includes multiple projects in the University of Iowa Power Plant in Iowa City, Iowa. Those projects were featured in 2017 in our company newsletter, wibi, which is published quarterly.
Click the cover image to be taken to the e-edition of that issue.
Generating station supplements renewable energy sources
In the Summer 2021 issue of wibi, we featured our projects for Central Iowa Power Cooperative at its Summit Lake Generating Station near Creston, Iowa.
Read about the project and about how our work is helping CIPCO to meet its power generation goals.
Project Portfolio
- New Generating Station and Regional Operations Center
Central Iowa Power Cooperative, Creston, Iowa - Steam Distribution System Replacement
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa - Power Plant Emissions Improvements
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa - Power Plant Air Regulations Compliance
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa - Cooling Tower Replacement
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa - Co-Generation Facility Building and Foundations
Roquette America, Inc., Keokuk, Iowa - Dense Phase Coal Handling System Replacement
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa - Coal-Fired Boiler Updates and Maintenance
Muscatine Power & Water, Muscatine, Iowa - Power Plant Expansion, Generator Installation
City of West Liberty, West Liberty, Iowa - Back-Up Power and Auxiliaries Addition/Installation
University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa