Carlton County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cloquet, Thomson Township and Moose Lake
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Carlton County. Carlton County is home to Cloquet, Thomson Township, Moose Lake and Twin Lakes Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through August 24, 2027”. Construction employs 884, up 32.9% since 2019. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Moose Lake (natural gas, 2 MW, 2019). 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas.
Cities and towns in Carlton County
Carlton County is home to Cloquet, Thomson Township, Moose Lake and Twin Lakes Township.
And 4 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Lake, Esko, Mahtowa.
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 Carlton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,190 | 36,711 | ▲ 1.4% | 29th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,181 | 13,111 | ▼ 0.5% | 40th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,526 | $59,691 | ▲ 31.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 665 | 884 | ▲ 32.9% | 8th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 5.2% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Its power plants have 182 MW of capacity, 48% of it other technologies. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. ALLETE, Inc. is the largest utility serving Carlton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Employers here counted 13,111 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. 36,711 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Carlton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carlton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| Lake Country Power | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,204 | 17.90¢ | 17% |
| Moose Lake Water & Light Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 88 MW | 48% |
| Hydro | 83 MW | 45% |
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 4% |
| Natural gas | 3 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sappi Cloquet Mill | Sappi Cloquet LLC | Hydro | 94 MW | 1929 |
| Thomson | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 73 MW | 1907 |
| Moose Lake | Moose Lake Water & Light Comm | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1973 |
| Knife Falls | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 2 MW | 1922 |
| Scanlon | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 2 MW | 1923 |
| MP CSG 1 LLC | United States Solar Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moose Lake | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Carlton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,111 | $59,691 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 884 | $100,484 | 1.27 |
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 Carlton County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through August 24, 2027 | In force | 2026-08 |
Carlton County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Carlton County, St. Louis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton County | 36,711 | ▼ 0.5% | 182 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Aitkin County | 16,252 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Douglas County WI | 43,990 | ▼ 0.7% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Pine County | 30,472 | ▼ 5.0% | 28 MW | — | — | 1 |
| St. Louis County | 200,518 | ▼ 3.4% | 269 MW | — | 7 | — |
More of Minnesota
Carlton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carlton County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Carlton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: ALLETE, Inc., Lake Country Power, Moose Lake Water & Light Comm. The largest, ALLETE, Inc., charged residential customers 15.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cloquet, MN in?
Cloquet is in Carlton County, Minnesota. About 12,399 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Carlton County?
6 operating plants with 182 MW of capacity. The largest is Sappi Cloquet Mill (94 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Carlton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carlton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Louis County.
Is Carlton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,111 jobs in 2025 against 13,181 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 665 to 884.
Does Carlton County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Carlton County, 1 in force.