Republic County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Belleville
Republic 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. Republic County is home to Belleville. 6 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by City of Belleville - (KS) (other technologies), the 10th largest pipeline among Kansas's counties. 3 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Cloud County has 202 MW of planned generation. 643 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Republic County
Republic County is home to Belleville.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Norway.
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 Republic County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,677 | 4,640 | ▼ 0.8% | 70th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,800 | 1,895 | ▲ 5.3% | 18th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $30,491 | $42,639 | ▲ 39.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 14 | ▼ 6.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 643 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 6 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 10th of 10 by size |
5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Belleville (natural gas, 5 MW, 2025). Its power plants have 653 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind, the 7th largest fleet in Kansas. Employers here counted 1,895 jobs in 2025, up 5.3% from 2019. Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc is the largest utility serving Republic County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.29¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 4,640 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Republic County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +638 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Republic County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,273 | 14.29¢ | 28% |
| City of Belleville - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 643 MW | 99% |
| Natural gas | 6 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Banks Wind | High Banks Wind, LLC | Wind | 643 MW | 2023 |
| Belleville | City of Belleville - (KS) | Natural gas | 9 MW | 1955 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belleville | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | City of Belleville - (KS) |
| Belleville | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Belleville - (KS) |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belleville | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2025 |
The Republic County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,895 | $42,639 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 14 | $42,307 | 0.14 |
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 Republic County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Republic County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Republic County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Republic County, Cloud 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic County | 4,640 | ▲ 5.3% | 653 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Cloud County | 8,833 | ▲ 2.0% | 201 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Jefferson County NE | 7,070 | ▲ 4.0% | 79 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Jewell County | 2,830 | ▼ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Nuckolls County NE | 4,100 | ▲ 10.0% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Thayer County NE | 4,842 | ▼ 3.5% | 59 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 5,533 | ▲ 0.4% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Republic County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Republic County, Kansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Republic County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, City of Belleville - (KS), Rolling Hills Electric Coop. The largest, Prairie Land Electric Coop Inc, charged residential customers 14.29¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Republic County?
2 operating plants with 653 MW of capacity. The largest is High Banks Wind (643 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Republic County?
6 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is City of Belleville - (KS).
Are there data centers in Republic County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Republic County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cloud County.
Is Republic County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,895 jobs in 2025 against 1,800 in 2019 (+5.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 15 to 14.
Does Republic County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Republic County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.