Carver County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chaska, Chanhassen and Waconia
Carver County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 11 data centers in Carver County, 9% of Minnesota's total. Carver County is home to Chaska, Chanhassen, Waconia and Victoria. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 664, up 8.3% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $96,027 a year. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Carver County
Carver County is home to Chaska, Chanhassen, Waconia and Victoria.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Crown College.
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 Carver County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 107,308 | 114,379 | ▲ 6.6% | 11th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40,511 | 40,641 | ▲ 0.3% | 34th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,703 | $76,442 | ▲ 37.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 613 | 664 | ▲ 8.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 151 MW of capacity, 41% of it petroleum. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Carver County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 114,379 people live here, up 6.6% since 2020. Employers here counted 40,641 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019.
Who powers Carver County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carver 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% |
| Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,714 | 14.59¢ | 30% |
| Minnesota Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,412 | 13.98¢ | 43% |
| City of Chaska - (MN) | Municipal | Bundled | 10,954 | 16.28¢ | 50% |
| McLeod Cooperative Power Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 19
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 61 MW | 41% |
| Natural gas | 49 MW | 33% |
| Solar | 40 MW | 27% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Bonifacius | Great River Energy | Petroleum | 61 MW | 1978 |
| Minnesota River | Minnesota Municipal Power Agny | Natural gas | 49 MW | 2001 |
| West Waconia Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 8 MW | 2016 |
| Nesvold Watertown Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| BentonSun LLC | SunShare Management | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Lind Solar CSG | Terraform Arcadia | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
The Carver County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,641 | $76,442 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 664 | $96,027 | 2.27 |
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 Carver County
11 data centers in Carver County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Carver County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Carver County, Hennepin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carver County | 114,379 | ▲ 0.3% | 151 MW | — | 11 | — |
| Hennepin County | 1,284,784 | ▼ 1.9% | 696 MW | — | 48 | — |
| McLeod County | 36,631 | ▼ 1.0% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 159,017 | ▲ 16.6% | 442 MW | 136 MW | 5 | — |
| Sibley County | 15,356 | ▼ 11.9% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Wright County | 157,559 | ▲ 9.4% | 806 MW | — | — | 2 |
More of Minnesota
Carver County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carver County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Carver County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn, Minnesota Valley Electric Coop, City of Chaska - (MN). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Chaska, MN in?
Chaska is in Carver County, Minnesota. About 30,513 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Chanhassen, MN in?
Chanhassen is in Carver County, Minnesota. About 25,748 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Waconia, MN in?
Waconia is in Carver County, Minnesota. About 14,113 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Carver County?
19 operating plants with 151 MW of capacity. The largest is St Bonifacius (61 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Carver County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 11 data centers in Carver County.
Is Carver County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,641 jobs in 2025 against 40,511 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Carver County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carver County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.