Benton County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sauk Rapids, St. Cloud and Watab Township
Benton 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. Benton County is home to Sauk Rapids, part of St. Cloud (7,148 of its 72,647 residents), Watab Township and Foley. Next door, Sherburne County has 2 data centers and 611 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 72 MW has retired here since 2019, including Granite City (natural gas, 72 MW, 2019). 11 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Benton County
Benton County is home to Sauk Rapids, part of St. Cloud (7,148 of its 72,647 residents), Watab Township and Foley.
- St. Cloud also extends into Stearns County, Sherburne County.
- Sartell also extends into Stearns County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ronneby.
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 Benton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 41,355 | 41,744 | ▲ 0.9% | 25th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,431 | 17,097 | ▼ 1.9% | 54th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,070 | $58,805 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 5.2% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 11 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 72 MW | — |
Its power plants have 30 MW of capacity, 69% of it solar. Employers here counted 17,097 jobs in 2025, down 1.9% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Benton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 41,744 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Benton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −61 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Benton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,230,057 | 16.98¢ | 44% |
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| East Central Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 55,250 | 16.89¢ | 29% |
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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 21 MW | 69% |
| Hydro | 9 MW | 31% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sartell Dam | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 9 MW | 1985 |
| B.R. Sauk Rapids CSG | Minnesota Solar CSG 9, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Caelum Community Solar | Caelum Community Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
| Delphinus Community Solar | Delphinus Community Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
| Novel Novak Solar LLC CSG | REA Investments, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
| Novel Pederson Solar CSG | REA Investments, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2020 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite City | Natural gas | 72 MW | 2019 |
The Benton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,097 | $58,805 | 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 Benton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Benton County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Benton County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Benton County, Sherburne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 41,744 | ▼ 1.9% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Mille Lacs County | 27,753 | ▼ 2.4% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Morrison County | 34,620 | ▲ 4.5% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Sherburne County | 104,194 | ▲ 8.4% | 2,670 MW | 611 MW | 2 | — |
| Stearns County | 164,110 | ● 0.0% | 192 MW | 6 MW | 1 | — |
More of Minnesota
Benton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Benton County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Benton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, ALLETE, Inc., East Central Energy. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Sauk Rapids, MN in?
Sauk Rapids is in Benton County, Minnesota. About 13,768 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Benton County?
16 operating plants with 30 MW of capacity. The largest is Sartell Dam (9 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Benton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Benton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sherburne County.
Is Benton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,097 jobs in 2025 against 17,431 in 2019 (-1.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Benton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Benton County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.