O'Brien County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sheldon, Hartley and Sanborn
O'Brien 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. O'Brien County is home to most of Sheldon (5,314 of its 5,575 residents), Hartley, Sanborn and Paullina. Next door, Clay County has 1 data center. Construction employs 236, up 7.3% since 2019. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Primghar (petroleum, 2 MW, 2022). Its power plants have 754 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind, the 8th largest fleet in Iowa.
Cities and towns in O'Brien County
O'Brien County is home to most of Sheldon (5,314 of its 5,575 residents), Hartley, Sanborn and Paullina.
- Sheldon also extends into Sioux 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 O'Brien County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,156 | 14,220 | ▲ 0.5% | 56th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,591 | 6,559 | ▼ 0.5% | 43rd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,724 | $49,710 | ▲ 28.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 220 | 236 | ▲ 7.3% | 39th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34 | 33 | ▼ 2.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.4% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 33, down 2.9% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $48,774 a year. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving O'Brien County, one of 10 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Employers here counted 6,559 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. 14,220 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers O'Brien County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in O'Brien 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% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| City of Hartley - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Osceola Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Paullina - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Primghar - (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 | 752 MW | 100% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Wind Project (IA) | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 502 MW | 2015 |
| O'Brien Wind | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 250 MW | 2016 |
| Primghar | City of Primghar - (IA) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primghar | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2022 |
The O'Brien County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,559 | $49,710 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 236 | $62,257 | 0.68 |
| Electrical contractors | 33 | $48,774 | 0.70 |
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 O'Brien County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in O'Brien County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Dickinson County, Plymouth County, Sioux County.
O'Brien County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border O'Brien County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Buena Vista County | 20,449 | ▼ 6.8% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County | 11,369 | ▲ 2.2% | 212 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,077 | ▲ 0.6% | 164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lyon County | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Osceola County | 5,980 | ▲ 9.7% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Plymouth County | 25,697 | ▲ 0.1% | 203 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sioux County | 36,774 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Iowa
O'Brien County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in O'Brien County, Iowa?
10 utilities have service territory in O'Brien County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, North West Rural Electric Coop. The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in O'Brien County?
3 operating plants with 754 MW of capacity. The largest is Highland Wind Project (IA) (502 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in O'Brien County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in O'Brien County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is O'Brien County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,559 jobs in 2025 against 6,591 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 220 to 236.
Does O'Brien County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for O'Brien County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.