Osceola County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sibley
Osceola 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. Osceola County is home to Sibley. Next door, Clay County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 2,641 jobs in 2025, up 9.7% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 99 Iowa counties). Construction employs 105, up 8.2% since 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Osceola County
Osceola County is home to Sibley.
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 Osceola County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,201 | 5,980 | ▼ 3.6% | 95th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,408 | 2,641 | ▲ 9.7% | 4th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,514 | $53,043 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 97 | 105 | ▲ 8.2% | 38th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 2.1% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 167 MW of capacity, 92% of it wind. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Osceola 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. 5,980 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019.
Who powers Osceola County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Osceola 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% |
| Iowa Lakes Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,714 | 13.78¢ | 22% |
| North West Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,400 | 9.26¢ | 66% |
| Federated Rural Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 53 | 11.82¢ | 0% |
| Lyon Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
| Osceola Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Sibley - (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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 154 MW | 92% |
| Natural gas | 8 MW | 4% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola Windpower LLC | Osceola Windpower LLC | Wind | 98 MW | 2008 |
| Osceola Windpower II | Osceola Windpower II | Wind | 50 MW | 2008 |
| Otter Creek Ethanol Poet - Ashton | Otter Creek Ethanol LLC - Poet Ashton | Natural gas | 8 MW | 2004 |
| Allendorf | E&E Enterprises LLC | Wind | 6 MW | 1998 |
| Sibley One | City of Sibley - (IA) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1971 |
| Sibley No Two | City of Sibley - (IA) | Petroleum | 1 MW | 1987 |
The Osceola County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,641 | $53,043 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 105 | $52,403 | 0.75 |
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 Osceola County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Osceola County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Dickinson County, Sioux County.
Osceola County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Osceola 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osceola County | 5,980 | ▲ 9.7% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,077 | ▲ 0.6% | 164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County MN | 9,857 | ▼ 5.6% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyon County | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Nobles County MN | 22,338 | ▼ 4.8% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| O'Brien County | 14,220 | ▼ 0.5% | 754 MW | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 36,774 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Iowa
Osceola County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Osceola County, Iowa?
8 utilities have service territory in Osceola County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, North West Rural Electric Coop, Federated Rural Electric Assn. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Osceola County?
6 operating plants with 167 MW of capacity. The largest is Osceola Windpower LLC (98 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Osceola County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Osceola County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Osceola County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,641 jobs in 2025 against 2,408 in 2019 (+9.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 97 to 105.
Does Osceola County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Osceola County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.