Louisa County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wapello and Columbus Junction
Louisa County hosts some of the generating capacity Iowa runs on. Louisa County is home to Wapello, Columbus Junction and Morning Sun. Next door, Johnson County has 4 data centers. Its power plants have 912 MW of capacity, 89% of it coal, the 6th largest fleet in Iowa. 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 3,697 jobs in 2025, down 3.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Louisa County
Louisa County is home to Wapello, Columbus Junction and Morning Sun.
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 Louisa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,822 | 10,416 | ▼ 3.8% | 70th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,838 | 3,697 | ▼ 3.7% | 63rd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,320 | $52,455 | ▲ 26.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 66 | 94 | ▲ 42.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 12, at an average $56,026 a year. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Louisa County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 10,416 people live here, down 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Louisa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Louisa 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% |
| Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,749 | 13.56¢ | 14% |
| Access Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,850 | 14.95¢ | 6% |
| Waverly Municipal Elec Utility | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 812 MW | 89% |
| Solar | 100 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa | MidAmerican Energy Co | Coal | 812 MW | 1983 |
| Wapello Solar LLC | Wapello Solar LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2021 |
The Louisa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,697 | $52,455 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 94 | $48,906 | 0.48 |
| Electrical contractors | 12 | $56,026 | 0.45 |
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 Louisa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Louisa County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Henry County, Johnson County.
Louisa County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Louisa County, Rock Island 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa County | 10,416 | ▼ 3.7% | 912 MW | — | — | — |
| Des Moines County | 38,077 | ▼ 6.3% | 291 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 19,349 | ▼ 13.2% | 34 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Johnson County | 160,044 | ▲ 2.5% | 124 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Mercer County IL | 15,229 | ▲ 1.0% | 10 MW | 42 MW | 1 | — |
| Muscatine County | 41,853 | ▼ 9.0% | 300 MW | 59 MW | 1 | — |
| Rock Island County IL | 141,869 | ▼ 6.2% | 2,705 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 22,667 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Louisa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Louisa County, Iowa?
4 utilities have service territory in Louisa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Eastern Iowa Light & Power Coop, Access Energy Coop, Waverly Municipal Elec Utility. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Louisa County?
2 operating plants with 912 MW of capacity. The largest is Louisa (812 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Louisa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Louisa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Johnson County.
Is Louisa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,697 jobs in 2025 against 3,838 in 2019 (-3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 66 to 94.
Does Louisa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Louisa County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.