Story County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ames, Nevada and Huxley
Story 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. Story County is home to Ames, Nevada, Huxley and Story City. Next door, Polk County has 30 data centers. Construction employs 1,964, down 9.6% since 2019. 7 MW has retired here since 2019, including Iowa State University (natural gas, 6 MW, 2021). Electrical contractors employ 226, up 11.9% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $67,041 a year.
Cities and towns in Story County
Story County is home to Ames, Nevada, Huxley and Story City.
- Sheldahl also extends into Polk 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 Story County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 98,658 | 101,291 | ▲ 2.7% | 8th of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46,194 | 47,004 | ▲ 1.8% | 26th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,938 | $65,198 | ▲ 25.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,173 | 1,964 | ▼ 9.6% | 68th of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 202 | 226 | ▲ 11.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 3.0% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 431 MW of capacity, 40% of it wind. Employers here counted 47,004 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019. Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Story County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. 101,291 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020, 8th of 99 Iowa counties by population.
Who powers Story County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Story 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% |
| City of Ames - (IA) | Municipal | Bundled | 24,979 | 12.10¢ | 51% |
| Midland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,939 | 13.60¢ | 12% |
| Consumers Energy Coop - (IA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,922 | 15.00¢ | 13% |
| City of State Center - (IA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Story City - (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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 172 MW | 40% |
| Natural gas | 154 MW | 36% |
| Petroleum | 102 MW | 24% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPL Energy Story Wind LLC | FPL Energy Story Wind LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2008 |
| Ames Electric Services Power Plant | City of Ames - (IA) | Natural gas | 109 MW | 1968 |
| Ames GT | City of Ames - (IA) | Petroleum | 79 MW | 1972 |
| Iowa State University | Iowa State University | Natural gas | 40 MW | 1970 |
| NCAH Central Utility Plant | National Centers for Animal Health | Petroleum | 14 MW | 2000 |
| Story City | City of Story City - (IA) | Petroleum | 14 MW | 1964 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa State University | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2021 |
| NCAH Central Utility Plant | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Story County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 47,004 | $65,198 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,964 | $73,664 | 0.79 |
| Electrical contractors | 226 | $67,041 | 0.67 |
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 Story County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Story County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Boone County, Marshall County.
Story County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Story County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Story County | 101,291 | ▲ 1.8% | 431 MW | — | — | — |
| Boone County | 26,799 | ▼ 2.2% | 348 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Hamilton County | 14,944 | ▼ 0.5% | 452 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 16,455 | ▼ 4.5% | 153 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Jasper County | 38,153 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 39,890 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,190 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Polk County | 516,546 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,066 MW | — | 30 | — |
More of Iowa
Story County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Story County, Iowa?
6 utilities have service territory in Story County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, City of Ames - (IA), Midland Power Coop, Consumers Energy Coop - (IA). The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ames, IA in?
Ames is in Story County, Iowa. About 68,220 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Story County?
16 operating plants with 431 MW of capacity. The largest is FPL Energy Story Wind LLC (150 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Story County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Story County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Polk County.
Is Story County adding jobs?
Employers counted 47,004 jobs in 2025 against 46,194 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,173 to 1,964.
Does Story County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Story County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.