Lee County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Madison and Keokuk
Lee 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. Lee County is home to Fort Madison, Keokuk, West Point and Donnellson. Construction employs 984, up 8.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 13,598 jobs in 2025, down 11.2% from 2019. 249 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 458 MW of capacity, 33% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Lee County
Lee County is home to Fort Madison, Keokuk, West Point and Donnellson.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Argyle, Denmark, Mooar, Sandusky, Wever.
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 Lee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,527 | 32,306 | ▼ 3.6% | 22nd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,308 | 13,598 | ▼ 11.2% | 92nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,378 | $59,750 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 907 | 984 | ▲ 8.5% | 37th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 249 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Lee County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 32,306 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Lee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +249 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lee 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% |
| Access Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,850 | 14.95¢ | 6% |
| West Point Utility System | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 150 MW | 33% |
| Hydro | 125 MW | 27% |
| Battery storage | 99 MW | 22% |
| Natural gas | 50 MW | 11% |
| Petroleum | 34 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wever Solar (150MW) | Interstate Power and Light Co | Battery storage | 249 MW | 2024 |
| Keokuk | Union Electric Co - (MO) | Hydro | 125 MW | 1913 |
| Roquette America | Roquette America | Natural gas | 84 MW | 2004 |
The Lee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,598 | $59,750 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 984 | $77,468 | 1.37 |
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 Lee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lee County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Henry County.
Lee County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lee County, Des Moines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 32,306 | ▼ 11.2% | 458 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County MO | 6,475 | ▼ 4.4% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Des Moines County | 38,077 | ▼ 6.3% | 291 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County IL | 16,803 | ▲ 4.6% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
| Henderson County IL | 5,984 | ▲ 8.8% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 19,349 | ▼ 13.2% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Van Buren County | 7,131 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Lee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lee County, Iowa?
3 utilities have service territory in Lee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Access Energy Coop, West Point Utility System. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lee County?
3 operating plants with 458 MW of capacity. The largest is Wever Solar (150MW) (249 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Lee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lee County.
Is Lee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,598 jobs in 2025 against 15,308 in 2019 (-11.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 907 to 984.
Does Lee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lee County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.