Winneshiek County, Iowa: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Decorah and Calmar
The build-out shows up in Winneshiek County as work for the electrical trades. Winneshiek County is home to Decorah, Calmar and Ossian. Electrical contractors employ 163, up 39.3% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $70,932 a year. Construction employs 607, up 10.2% since 2019. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 45% of it battery storage.
Cities and towns in Winneshiek County
Winneshiek County is home to Decorah, Calmar and Ossian.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burr Oak.
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 Winneshiek County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Iowa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,046 | 19,733 | ▼ 1.6% | 33rd of 99 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,389 | 10,515 | ▲ 1.2% | 30th of 99 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,076 | $53,710 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 551 | 607 | ▲ 10.2% | 32nd of 81 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 117 | 163 | ▲ 39.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Interstate Power and Light Co is the largest utility serving Winneshiek County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.77¢ median for Iowa utilities. Employers here counted 10,515 jobs in 2025, up 1.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 19,733 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Winneshiek County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Winneshiek 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% |
| MiEnergy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,006 | 16.91¢ | 34% |
| Allamakee-Clayton El Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 45% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 29% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 27% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decorah Battery | Interstate Power and Light Co | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2021 |
| Luther College Wind Project | Luther College Wind Energy Project LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2011 |
| DPC Madison | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Winneshiek County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,515 | $53,710 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 607 | $80,437 | 1.09 |
| Electrical contractors | 163 | $70,932 | 2.15 |
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 Winneshiek County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Winneshiek County. Iowa has 31 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Clayton County.
Winneshiek County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Winneshiek County, Chickasaw 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winneshiek County | 19,733 | ▲ 1.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Allamakee County | 14,238 | ▼ 5.0% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Chickasaw County | 11,663 | ▲ 5.3% | 229 MW | — | — | — |
| Clayton County | 16,845 | ▼ 8.5% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Fayette County | 19,047 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Fillmore County MN | 21,540 | ▲ 1.0% | 65 MW | — | — | — |
| Houston County MN | 18,400 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 9,415 | ▲ 4.3% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
More of Iowa
Winneshiek County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Winneshiek County, Iowa?
3 utilities have service territory in Winneshiek County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Interstate Power and Light Co, MiEnergy Cooperative, Allamakee-Clayton El Coop, Inc. The largest, Interstate Power and Light Co, charged residential customers 17.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Winneshiek County?
3 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Decorah Battery (2 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Winneshiek County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Winneshiek County.
Is Winneshiek County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,515 jobs in 2025 against 10,389 in 2019 (+1.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 551 to 607.
Does Winneshiek County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Winneshiek County. Iowa has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.