Chippewa County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Montevideo and Clara City
Chippewa 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. Chippewa County is home to Montevideo, Clara City, part of Granite Falls (925 of its 2,691 residents) and Sparta Township. Construction employs 295, up 37.9% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 38, up 46.2% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $91,793 a year. Employers here counted 5,136 jobs in 2025, down 10.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Chippewa County
Chippewa County is home to Montevideo, Clara City, part of Granite Falls (925 of its 2,691 residents) and Sparta Township.
- Granite Falls also extends into Yellow Medicine County.
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 Chippewa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,606 | 12,406 | ▼ 1.6% | 61st of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,747 | 5,136 | ▼ 10.6% | 82nd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,232 | $54,922 | ▲ 36.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 214 | 295 | ▲ 37.9% | 5th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 26 | 38 | ▲ 46.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 5.3% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 9 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
9 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 66 MW of capacity, 68% of it wind. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Chippewa County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 12,406 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Chippewa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chippewa 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% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,931 | 12.22¢ | 8% |
| Agralite Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,333 | 13.94¢ | 28% |
| City of Granite Falls - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kandiyohi Power Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Renville-Sibley Coop Pwr Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 45 MW | 68% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 30% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer's Creek Wind Farm, LLC | Palmer's Creek Wind Farm, LLC | Wind | 45 MW | 2018 |
| Taurus Community Solar | Taurus Community Solar | Solar | 4 MW | 2018 |
| Crater Community Solar | Crater Community Solar | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
| Centaurus Community Solar | Centaurus Community Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
| Granite Falls | City of Granite Falls - (MN) | Hydro | 1 MW | 1932 |
| Andresen Solar | Ballantyne LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Chippewa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,136 | $54,922 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 295 | $87,558 | 1.08 |
| Electrical contractors | 38 | $91,793 | 1.03 |
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 Chippewa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chippewa County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Chippewa County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Chippewa County, Renville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa County | 12,406 | ▼ 10.6% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Kandiyohi County | 44,720 | ▼ 3.3% | 26 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,704 | ▼ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Renville County | 14,356 | ▼ 2.7% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
| Swift County | 9,763 | ▲ 2.2% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,477 | ▼ 10.9% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Chippewa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chippewa County, Minnesota?
8 utilities have service territory in Chippewa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn, Agralite Electric Coop. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chippewa County?
16 operating plants with 66 MW of capacity. The largest is Palmer's Creek Wind Farm, LLC (45 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Chippewa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chippewa County.
Is Chippewa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,136 jobs in 2025 against 5,747 in 2019 (-10.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 214 to 295.
Does Chippewa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chippewa County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.