Buena Vista County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Storm Lake and Alta
Buena Vista 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. Buena Vista County is home to Storm Lake, Alta, Newell and Sioux Rapids. Next door, Clay County has 1 data center. Electrical contractors employ 57, up 16.3% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $53,073 a year. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Alta Municipal Utilities (petroleum, 1 MW, 2021). Employers here counted 10,291 jobs in 2025, down 6.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Buena Vista County
Buena Vista County is home to Storm Lake, Alta, Newell and Sioux Rapids.
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 Buena Vista County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,800 | 20,449 | ▼ 1.7% | 31st of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,037 | 10,291 | ▼ 6.8% | 81st of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,920 | $55,480 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 297 | 285 | ▼ 4.0% | 60th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49 | 57 | ▲ 16.3% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 65 | 52 | ▼ 20.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Construction employs 285, down 4.0% since 2019. Its power plants have 374 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Buena Vista County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 20,449 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Buena Vista County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Buena Vista County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidAmerican Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 632,436 | 11.01¢ | 18% |
| Interstate Power and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 417,153 | 17.90¢ | 29% |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,714 | 13.78¢ | 22% |
| City of Alta - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Marathon - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 370 MW | 99% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intrepid | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 176 MW | 2004 |
| Storm Lake 1 | ALLETE Clean Energy | Wind | 114 MW | 1999 |
| Storm Lake II | ALLETE Clean Energy | Wind | 80 MW | 1999 |
| Alta Municipal Utilities | City of Alta - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Municipal Utilities | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Buena Vista County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,291 | $55,480 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 285 | $76,387 | 0.52 |
| Electrical contractors | 57 | $53,073 | 0.77 |
| Electric utilities | 52 | $111,438 | 1.87 |
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 Buena Vista County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Buena Vista County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Ida County.
Buena Vista County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Buena Vista County, O'Brien 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista County | 20,449 | ▼ 6.8% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 9,562 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County | 11,369 | ▲ 2.2% | 212 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Ida County | 6,777 | ▼ 4.2% | 502 MW | — | — | 1 |
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Palo Alto County | 8,899 | ▼ 3.7% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Pocahontas County | 6,819 | ▼ 22.1% | 378 MW | — | — | — |
| Sac County | 9,525 | ▼ 1.2% | 211 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Buena Vista County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Buena Vista County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Buena Vista County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, City of Alta - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Storm Lake, IA in?
Storm Lake is in Buena Vista County, Iowa. About 11,590 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Buena Vista County?
4 operating plants with 374 MW of capacity. The largest is Intrepid (176 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Buena Vista County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Buena Vista County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Buena Vista County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,291 jobs in 2025 against 11,037 in 2019 (-6.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 297 to 285.
Does Buena Vista County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Buena Vista County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.