Poweshiek County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Grinnell, Brooklyn and Montezuma
No data center or power plant project is on record in Poweshiek County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Poweshiek County is home to Grinnell, Brooklyn and Montezuma. Next door, Benton County has 1 data center. Construction employs 686, up 2.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 320 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 9,222 jobs in 2025, down 6.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Poweshiek County
Poweshiek County is home to Grinnell, Brooklyn and Montezuma.
- Victor also extends into Iowa County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Holiday Lake.
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 Poweshiek County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,638 | 18,368 | ▼ 1.4% | 37th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,807 | 9,222 | ▼ 6.0% | 78th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,768 | $60,260 | ▲ 28.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 671 | 686 | ▲ 2.2% | 49th of 81 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 320 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 538 MW of capacity, 96% of it wind. MidAmerican Energy Co is the largest utility serving Poweshiek County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.01¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 18,368 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Poweshiek County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +320 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Poweshiek 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% |
| City of Brooklyn - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Montezuma - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| T I P Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pella Cooperative Elec Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 514 MW | 96% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 2% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North English | MidAmerican Energy Co | Wind | 340 MW | 2018 |
| English Farms | Interstate Power and Light Co | Wind | 172 MW | 2019 |
| Montezuma | City of Montezuma - (IA) | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1940 |
| Grinnell Customer Hosted Solar | Interstate Power and Light Co | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Grinnell College | Azimuth 180 Solar Electric, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2024 |
| Venus Wind 3 LLC | Novis Renewables, LLC | Wind | 3 MW | 2017 |
The Poweshiek County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,222 | $60,260 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 686 | $82,726 | 1.40 |
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 Poweshiek County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Poweshiek County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Iowa County, Marshall County.
Poweshiek County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Poweshiek County, Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poweshiek County | 18,368 | ▼ 6.0% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
| Benton County | 26,004 | ▼ 0.4% | 18 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Iowa County | 16,504 | ▼ 18.2% | 277 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jasper County | 38,153 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Keokuk County | 9,797 | ▲ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Mahaska County | 21,880 | ▲ 2.0% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 39,890 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,190 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Tama County | 16,796 | ▼ 3.2% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Poweshiek County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Poweshiek County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Poweshiek County in the EIA-861 2024 report: MidAmerican Energy Co, Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Brooklyn - (IA), City of Montezuma - (IA). The largest, MidAmerican Energy Co, charged residential customers 11.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Poweshiek County?
8 operating plants with 538 MW of capacity. The largest is North English (340 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Poweshiek County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Poweshiek County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Benton County.
Is Poweshiek County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,222 jobs in 2025 against 9,807 in 2019 (-6.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 671 to 686.
Does Poweshiek County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Poweshiek County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.