History of Sterling's Municipal Power Plant
Two years later, in July of 1899, the plant was purchased by Sterling businessman, George Morris. He immediately began upgrading, overhauling, and installing new equipment. Two new boilers (110 hp and 80 hp), one *850-light dynamo, and a *1000-light Edison dynamo made up what would become a profitable and efficient business for Mr. Morris, turning a profit for the first time in the plant’s short history.
*(one light = approximately 16 candlepower or watts)
Records are a bit sketchy, but at some point early during the first decade of the 1900s, the location of the power plant was shifted from its downtown location to the location of the present-day facility at Broadway and Washington. Part of the original brick structure can still be seen from the sidewalk on the north side of the facility.
In March of 1910, excess steam from the facility was piped to the south to help heat the large school building located on the northwest corner of Broadway and Adams. (Some of these old lines were uncovered during the 2001 expansion project on the new south wing.) By April of 1910, a franchise was passed for a 20-year period to the Morris Electric Company. Sterling continued to grow and so, 
too, did the demand for electricity.
In August of 1916, the City issued bonds in the amount of $45,000 to purchase the G.A. Morris light plant and distribution system. This started the City’s involvement in municipal power.
In 1928, the City decided on a conversion program to diesel engine generating units, at which time a 400-hp De La Vergne was installed, followed by a 750-hp De La Vergne unit in 1931 (pictured at left).
By 1939, the City was once again tasked with an important decision regarding the production of electricity. A 5-year contract had been signed with REA (Rural Electric Association) to provide power to the east of Sterling for 450 rural customers (along with 90 additional customers by the time the contract was signed). By 1939, the unit capacity installed in 1928 and 1931 would be pushed to their limits. Sterling needed to decide if they should add on to the existing building to house a new unit, or rebuild the plant with all new equipment in a different location in town. A new location would reduce the noise and vibration in the residential area. A public meeting on the proposal was held September 14th, 1939, and on September 19th, 1939, the citizens of Sterling were asked to vote on the question, “Should the location of the Municipal Power Plant be changed, and the plant itself be improved to conform with modern requirements?” Apparently, by virtue of the location of today’s plant, the answer was “no”.