Chisago County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to North Branch, Wyoming and Chisago City
Chisago 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. Chisago County is home to North Branch, Wyoming, Chisago City and Lindstrom. 80 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by North Star Energy Storage, LLC (battery storage), the 6th largest pipeline among Minnesota's counties. 80 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 1,153, up 15.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Washington County has 3 data centers. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Chisago County
Chisago County is home to North Branch, Wyoming, Chisago City and Lindstrom.
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 Chisago County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 56,723 | 59,142 | ▲ 4.3% | 18th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,610 | 16,270 | ▲ 4.2% | 19th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,731 | $59,776 | ▲ 30.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 998 | 1,153 | ▲ 15.5% | 24th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 86 | 77 | ▼ 10.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 25 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 80 MW | 42% of today's fleet | 6th of 15 by size |
25 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 16,270 jobs in 2025, up 4.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 191 MW of capacity, 94% of it solar. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Chisago 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. Electrical contractors employ 77, down 10.5% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $73,140 a year. 59,142 people live here, up 4.3% since 2020.
Who powers Chisago County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +25 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chisago 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% |
| Connexus Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 134,095 | 13.66¢ | 30% |
| 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 43
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 180 MW | 94% |
| Petroleum | 11 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Star Solar Project | North Star Solar PV LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2016 |
| North Branch (MN) | North Branch Water & Light Comm | Petroleum | 11 MW | 2003 |
| Chisago Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 6 MW | 2016 |
| Wyoming 2 CSG, LLC | Ecoplexus, Inc | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Fox CSG, LLC | Ecoplexus, Inc | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Gopher CSG | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Star Energy Storage, LLC | Batteries | 80 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | North Star Energy Storage, LLC |
The Chisago County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,270 | $59,776 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,153 | $91,428 | 1.34 |
| Electrical contractors | 77 | $73,140 | 0.66 |
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 Chisago County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chisago County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Pine County, Polk County, Washington County.
Chisago County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Chisago County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chisago County | 59,142 | ▲ 4.2% | 191 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Anoka County | 381,605 | ▲ 4.3% | 17 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Burnett County WI | 17,223 | ▲ 12.8% | 11 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Isanti County | 44,386 | ▲ 0.1% | 215 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Kanabec County | 16,628 | ▲ 6.8% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Pine County | 30,472 | ▼ 5.0% | 28 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Polk County WI | 45,803 | ▼ 1.0% | 146 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Washington County | 286,895 | ▲ 9.3% | 924 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
More of Minnesota
Chisago County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chisago County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Chisago County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Connexus Energy, East Central Energy. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is North Branch, MN in?
North Branch is in Chisago County, Minnesota. About 12,398 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Chisago County?
43 operating plants with 191 MW of capacity. The largest is North Star Solar Project (100 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Chisago County?
80 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 80 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is North Star Energy Storage, LLC.
Are there data centers in Chisago County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chisago County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Chisago County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,270 jobs in 2025 against 15,610 in 2019 (+4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 998 to 1,153.
Does Chisago County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chisago County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.