Russell County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Russell
No data center or power plant project is on record in Russell County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Russell County is home to Russell and Big Creek Township. Next door, Ellis County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 51 MW of capacity, 50% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Russell County
Russell County is home to Russell and Big Creek Township.
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 Russell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,677 | 6,581 | ▼ 1.4% | 54th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,429 | 2,508 | ▲ 3.3% | 35th of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,135 | $45,142 | ▲ 28.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 82 | 90 | ▲ 9.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,508 jobs in 2025, up 3.3% from 2019. Midwest Energy Inc - (KS) is the largest utility serving Russell County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.44¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.97¢ median for Kansas utilities. 6,581 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Russell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Russell 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% |
| Western Coop Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,799 | 14.17¢ | 79% |
| City of Lucas- (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Luray - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rolling Hills Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Russell - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 26 MW | 50% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 40% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell | Sunflower Electric Power Corp | Solar | 20 MW | 2025 |
| Russell Downtown | City of Russell - (KS) | Natural gas | 16 MW | 1971 |
| Russell Energy Center | City of Russell - (KS) | Natural gas | 15 MW | 2002 |
The Russell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,508 | $45,142 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 90 | $54,881 | 0.68 |
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 Russell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Russell County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Russell County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Russell County, Ellis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County | 6,581 | ▲ 3.3% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| Barton County | 24,790 | ▼ 6.2% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Ellis County | 29,075 | ▼ 0.8% | 308 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Ellsworth County | 6,257 | ▼ 2.0% | 201 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 2,861 | ▼ 7.3% | 258 MW | — | — | — |
| Osborne County | 3,285 | ▼ 15.8% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Rush County | 2,845 | ▼ 3.9% | 58 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Russell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Russell County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Russell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), Western Coop Electric Assn Inc, City of Lucas- (KS), City of Luray - (KS). The largest, Midwest Energy Inc - (KS), charged residential customers 11.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Russell County?
3 operating plants with 51 MW of capacity. The largest is Russell (20 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Russell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Russell County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Ellis County.
Is Russell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,508 jobs in 2025 against 2,429 in 2019 (+3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 82 to 90.
Does Russell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Russell County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.