Cass County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sylvan Township, Pike Bay Township and Shingobee Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cass County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cass County is home to Sylvan Township, Pike Bay Township, Shingobee Township and Pine River Township. Construction employs 415, up 11.3% since 2019. 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 18, up 5.9% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $47,179 a year. Its power plants have 19 MW of capacity, 82% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Cass County
Cass County is home to Sylvan Township, Pike Bay Township, Shingobee Township and Pine River Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Whipholt.
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 Cass County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,152 | 31,430 | ▲ 4.2% | 34th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,517 | 10,595 | ▲ 0.7% | 32nd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,944 | $46,160 | ▲ 40.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 373 | 415 | ▲ 11.3% | 32nd of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17 | 18 | ▲ 5.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 5.4% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
ALLETE, Inc. is the largest utility serving Cass County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 10,595 jobs in 2025, up 0.7% from 2019. 31,430 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Cass County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +15 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cass County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Lake Country Power | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,204 | 17.90¢ | 17% |
| Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light Comp | Cooperative | Bundled | 44,698 | 13.33¢ | 21% |
| Beltrami Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,732 | 14.40¢ | 35% |
| Itasca-Mantrap Co-op Electrical Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,200 | 13.44¢ | 7% |
| Todd-Wadena Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 15 MW | 82% |
| Hydro | 3 MW | 18% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Solar | ALLETE, Inc. | Solar | 15 MW | 2023 |
| Sylvan | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 2 MW | 1913 |
| Pillager | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 2 MW | 1917 |
The Cass County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,595 | $46,160 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 415 | $61,588 | 0.74 |
| Electrical contractors | 18 | $47,179 | 0.24 |
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 Cass County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cass County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Cass County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 31,430 | ▲ 0.7% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Aitkin County | 16,252 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Beltrami County | 47,055 | ▲ 2.5% | 51 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Crow Wing County | 69,132 | ▲ 4.6% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Hubbard County | 22,369 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Itasca County | 45,404 | ▲ 1.4% | 956 MW | — | — | — |
| Morrison County | 34,620 | ▲ 4.5% | 34 MW | — | — | — |
| Todd County | 26,060 | ▲ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Wadena County | 14,388 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Cass County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cass County, Minnesota?
7 utilities have service territory in Cass County in the EIA-861 2024 report: ALLETE, Inc., Otter Tail Power Co, Lake Country Power, Crow Wing Cooperative Power & Light Comp. The largest, ALLETE, Inc., charged residential customers 15.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cass County?
3 operating plants with 19 MW of capacity. The largest is Sylvan Solar (15 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Cass County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cass County.
Is Cass County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,595 jobs in 2025 against 10,517 in 2019 (+0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 373 to 415.
Does Cass County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cass County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.