Guthrie County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Guthrie Center, Stuart and Panora
No data center or power plant project is on record in Guthrie County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Guthrie County is home to Guthrie Center, most of Stuart (1,135 of its 1,882 residents) and Panora. Construction employs 228, up 20.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Dallas County has 9 data centers. Its power plants have 214 MW of capacity, 97% of it wind. Employers here counted 3,205 jobs in 2025, up 3.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Guthrie County
Guthrie County is home to Guthrie Center, most of Stuart (1,135 of its 1,882 residents) and Panora.
- Stuart also extends into Adair County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Diamondhead Lake, Lake Panorama.
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 Guthrie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,614 | 10,782 | ▲ 1.6% | 67th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,106 | 3,205 | ▲ 3.2% | 19th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,387 | $55,237 | ▲ 33.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 189 | 228 | ▲ 20.6% | 18th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39 | 29 | ▼ 25.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Guthrie County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 10,782 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 29, down 25.6% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $62,786 a year.
Who powers Guthrie County
Utilities with service territory in Guthrie County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate Power and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 417,153 | 17.90¢ | 29% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| City of Coon Rapids | — | — | — | — | — |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative | — | — | — | — | — |
| Guthrie County Rural E C A | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Panora - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Stuart - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 207 MW | 97% |
| Petroleum | 7 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eclipse Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 207 MW | 2012 |
| Panora | City of Panora - (IA) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1988 |
| Stuart (IA) | City of Stuart - (IA) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 1956 |
The Guthrie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,205 | $55,237 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 228 | $67,838 | 1.34 |
| Electrical contractors | 29 | $62,786 | 1.25 |
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 Guthrie County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Guthrie County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Madison County.
Guthrie County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Guthrie County, Dallas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guthrie County | 10,782 | ▲ 3.2% | 214 MW | — | — | — |
| Adair County | 7,403 | ▲ 16.2% | 1,152 MW | — | — | — |
| Audubon County | 5,509 | ▼ 0.9% | 485 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 20,303 | ▼ 4.6% | 298 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 12,960 | ▼ 2.1% | 502 MW | — | — | — |
| Dallas County | 118,457 | ▲ 21.3% | 1 MW | — | 9 | — |
| Greene County | 8,658 | ▼ 6.1% | 74 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 17,270 | ▲ 9.2% | 137 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Iowa
Guthrie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Guthrie County, Iowa?
8 utilities have service territory in Guthrie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Midland Power Coop, City of Coon Rapids, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Guthrie County?
3 operating plants with 214 MW of capacity. The largest is Eclipse Wind Farm (207 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Guthrie County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Guthrie County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dallas County.
Is Guthrie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,205 jobs in 2025 against 3,106 in 2019 (+3.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 189 to 228.
Does Guthrie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Guthrie County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.