Beltrami County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bemidji, Bemidji Township and Northern Township
Beltrami 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. Beltrami County is home to Bemidji, Bemidji Township, Northern Township and Grant Valley Township. 50 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Otter Tail Power Co (solar), the 7th largest pipeline among Minnesota's counties. 50 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 1,360, up 20.5% since 2019. Unemployment was 6.4% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 51 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Beltrami County
Beltrami County is home to Bemidji, Bemidji Township, Northern Township and Grant Valley Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Little Rock, Ponemah, Red Lake, Redby.
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 Beltrami County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 46,232 | 47,055 | ▲ 1.8% | 21st of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,181 | 20,687 | ▲ 2.5% | 25th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,568 | $57,841 | ▲ 32.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,129 | 1,360 | ▲ 20.5% | 18th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 6.4% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 50 MW | 97% of today's fleet | 7th of 15 by size |
Employers here counted 20,687 jobs in 2025, up 2.5% from 2019. Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Beltrami County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.33¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 47,055 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Beltrami County
Utilities with service territory in Beltrami County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Beltrami Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,732 | 14.40¢ | 35% |
| Clearwater-Polk Elec Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Itasca Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Roseau Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Red Lake Electric 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 50 MW | 97% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solway CT | Otter Tail Power Co | Natural gas | 51 MW | 2003 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solway Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Otter Tail Power Co |
The Beltrami County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,687 | $57,841 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,360 | $82,903 | 1.24 |
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 Beltrami County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Beltrami County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Beltrami County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Beltrami County, Itasca 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beltrami County | 47,055 | ▲ 2.5% | 51 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Cass County | 31,430 | ▲ 0.7% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Clearwater County | 8,647 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Hubbard County | 22,369 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Itasca County | 45,404 | ▲ 1.4% | 956 MW | — | — | — |
| Koochiching County | 11,587 | ▼ 8.0% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake of the Woods County | 3,770 | ▼ 11.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 8,798 | ▲ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Pennington County | 13,686 | ▼ 7.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Roseau County | 15,246 | ▼ 1.8% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Beltrami County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Beltrami County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Beltrami County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Beltrami Electric Coop, Inc, Clearwater-Polk Elec Coop Inc, North Itasca Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 11.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bemidji, MN in?
Bemidji is in Beltrami County, Minnesota. About 15,770 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Beltrami County?
1 operating plant with 51 MW of capacity. The largest is Solway CT (51 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Beltrami County?
50 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 50 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Otter Tail Power Co.
Are there data centers in Beltrami County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Beltrami County.
Is Beltrami County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,687 jobs in 2025 against 20,181 in 2019 (+2.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,129 to 1,360.
Does Beltrami County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Beltrami County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.