Ribbon cutting ceremonies were held over the weekend at the Emery Generating Station between Mason City and Clear Lake. The natural gas-fueled power plant is owned by Alliant Energy’s Iowa subsidiary Interstate Power and Light. I-P-L president Thomas Aller commended the speedy work done to get the plant on-line.Just a year ago, parts of the northeastern United States were hit with a major blackout, but Aller says plants like this new one will assure northern Iowans never go through a situation like that. I-P-L officials say the plant last week simulated a black-out situation and restarted flawlessly. Lieutenant Governor Sally Pedersen was at Saturday’s event and says she sees opportunities and an improvement in the quality of life with the plant opening. Iowa Congressman Tom Latham says it’s an opportunity for north-central Iowa to stimulate economic growth. The plant was officially commissioned on May 15th. At full capacity, the plant produces more than 565-megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 180-thousand homes.