Wells County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bluffton, Harrison Township and Lancaster Township
Wells County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Wells County is home to Bluffton, Harrison Township, Lancaster Township and Jefferson Township. Next door, Blackford County has 595 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 512, up 14.3% since 2019. Employers here counted 11,160 jobs in 2025, up 4.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 236 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Wells County
Wells County is home to Bluffton, Harrison Township, Lancaster Township and Jefferson Township.
- Markle also extends into Huntington County.
- Zanesville also extends into Allen County.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Wells County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,161 | 28,883 | ▲ 2.6% | 56th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,687 | 11,160 | ▲ 4.4% | 25th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,832 | $51,427 | ▲ 29.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 448 | 512 | ▲ 14.3% | 44th of 68 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.7% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Wells County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 28,883 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Wells County
Utilities with service territory in Wells County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Indiana, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 796,265 | 12.75¢ | 31% |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 422,062 | 16.31¢ | 28% |
| City of Bluffton - (IN) | Municipal | Bundled | 5,007 | 10.38¢ | 11% |
| Jay County Rural E M C | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 236 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montpelier Electric Generating Station | Kimura Power LLC | Natural gas | 236 MW | 2001 |
The Wells County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,160 | $51,427 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 512 | $67,994 | 0.87 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Wells County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wells County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Grant County.
Wells County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wells County, Blackford County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells County | 28,883 | ▲ 4.4% | 236 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 36,650 | ▼ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Allen County | 402,329 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | 6 | — |
| Blackford County | 11,730 | ▼ 5.7% | — | 595 MW | — | — |
| Grant County | 66,524 | ▲ 1.8% | 7 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Huntington County | 37,224 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Jay County | 20,118 | ▼ 2.2% | 273 MW | 139 MW | — | — |
More of Indiana
Wells County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wells County, Indiana?
4 utilities have service territory in Wells County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, Indiana Michigan Power Co, City of Bluffton - (IN), Jay County Rural E M C. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bluffton, IN in?
Bluffton is in Wells County, Indiana. About 10,583 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wells County?
1 operating plant with 236 MW of capacity. The largest is Montpelier Electric Generating Station (236 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Wells County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wells County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Blackford County.
Is Wells County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,160 jobs in 2025 against 10,687 in 2019 (+4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 448 to 512.
Does Wells County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wells County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.