Palo Alto County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Emmetsburg
No data center or power plant project is on record in Palo Alto County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Palo Alto County is home to Emmetsburg, Graettinger, most of West Bend (757 of its 775 residents) and Ruthven. Construction employs 196, up 36.1% since 2019. Next door, Clay County has 1 data center. 344 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. 0 MW has retired here since 2019, including Graettinger (petroleum, 0 MW, 2024).
Cities and towns in Palo Alto County
Palo Alto County is home to Emmetsburg, Graettinger, most of West Bend (757 of its 775 residents) and Ruthven.
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 Palo Alto County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,990 | 8,899 | ▼ 1.0% | 82nd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,798 | 3,659 | ▼ 3.7% | 62nd of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,872 | $49,216 | ▲ 30.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 144 | 196 | ▲ 36.1% | 11th of 81 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 15 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 2.6% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 344 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 374 MW of capacity, 96% of it wind. Employers here counted 3,659 jobs in 2025, down 3.7% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 55, at an average $63,835 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Palo Alto County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 8,899 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Palo Alto County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +343 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Palo Alto 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% |
| City of Graettinger - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of West Bend | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 361 MW | 96% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 3% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto Wind Farm | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 340 MW | 2020 |
| Crosswind Energy Project | Crosswind Holdco LLC | Wind | 21 MW | 2007 |
| West Bend | City of West Bend - (IA) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1954 |
| Poet Bioprocessing Emmetsburg | Poet Bioprocessing Emmetsburg | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2023 |
| Graettinger | City of Graettinger - (IA) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 1990 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graettinger | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2024 |
The Palo Alto County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,659 | $49,216 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 196 | $61,075 | 1.01 |
| Electrical contractors | 55 | $63,835 | 2.08 |
| Electric utilities | 15 | $118,768 | 1.51 |
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 Palo Alto County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Palo Alto County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Dickinson County, Emmet County.
Palo Alto County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Palo Alto 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Alto County | 8,899 | ▼ 3.7% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Buena Vista County | 20,449 | ▼ 6.8% | 374 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 16,202 | ▲ 0.7% | 442 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dickinson County | 18,077 | ▲ 0.6% | 164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Emmet County | 9,107 | ▼ 12.1% | 17 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Humboldt County | 9,409 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Kossuth County | 14,322 | ▼ 3.4% | 462 MW | — | — | — |
| Pocahontas County | 6,819 | ▼ 22.1% | 378 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Palo Alto County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Palo Alto County, Iowa?
5 utilities have service territory in Palo Alto County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, Iowa Lakes Electric Coop, City of Graettinger - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Palo Alto County?
5 operating plants with 374 MW of capacity. The largest is Palo Alto Wind Farm (340 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Palo Alto County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Palo Alto County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Palo Alto County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,659 jobs in 2025 against 3,798 in 2019 (-3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 144 to 196.
Does Palo Alto County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Palo Alto County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.