Pratt County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pratt
Pratt 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. Pratt County is home to Pratt and Township 12. 202 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Nextera Energy Resources (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among Kansas's counties. 202 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Reno County has 765 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Its power plants have 705 MW of capacity, 95% of it wind, the 6th largest fleet in Kansas.
Cities and towns in Pratt County
Pratt County is home to Pratt and Township 12.
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 Pratt County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,140 | 9,117 | ▼ 0.3% | 42nd of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,559 | 4,637 | ▲ 1.7% | 44th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,540 | $49,117 | ▲ 21.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 202 MW | 29% of today's fleet | 5th of 10 by size |
7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 4,637 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Pratt County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 9,117 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Pratt County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pratt County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,832 | 11.44¢ | 25% |
| Southern Pioneer Electric Company | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,602 | 15.86¢ | 20% |
| City of Iuka - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Pratt- (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 667 MW | 95% |
| Natural gas | 30 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 7 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pratt Wind, LLC | Pratt Wind, LLC | Wind | 244 MW | 2018 |
| Kingman Wind | Kingman Wind Energy, LLC | Wind | 215 MW | 2016 |
| Ninnescah Wind Energy, LLC | Ninnescah Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 208 MW | 2016 |
| Pratt 2 | City of Pratt- (KS) | Natural gas | 16 MW | 1994 |
| Pratt | City of Pratt- (KS) | Natural gas | 16 MW | 1958 |
| City of Pratt Solar | Kenyon Energy KS Solar 1 LLC | Solar | 6 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ninnescah Flats Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 202 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Nextera Energy Resources |
The Pratt County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,637 | $49,117 | 1.00 |
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 Pratt County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pratt County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Kingman County.
Pratt County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pratt County, Reno 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pratt County | 9,117 | ▲ 1.7% | 705 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Barber County | 4,083 | ▼ 3.6% | 283 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Edwards County | 2,640 | ▲ 14.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Kingman County | 7,029 | ▲ 16.7% | 618 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kiowa County | 2,432 | ▼ 4.6% | 118 MW | — | — | — |
| Reno County | 61,539 | ▲ 0.2% | 347 MW | 765 MW | — | — |
| Stafford County | 4,005 | ▼ 2.3% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Pratt County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pratt County, Kansas?
5 utilities have service territory in Pratt County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Southern Pioneer Electric Company, City of Iuka - (KS), Ninnescah Rural E C A Inc. The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pratt County?
7 operating plants with 705 MW of capacity. The largest is Pratt Wind, LLC (244 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Pratt County?
202 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 202 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Nextera Energy Resources.
Are there data centers in Pratt County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pratt County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Reno County.
Is Pratt County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,637 jobs in 2025 against 4,559 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pratt County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pratt County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.