Clay County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Moorhead, Dilworth and Barnesville
Clay County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Clay County. Clay County is home to Moorhead, Dilworth, Barnesville and Hawley. Construction employs 1,055, up 32.2% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Moorhead, Dilworth, Barnesville and Hawley.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baker.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,358 | 67,734 | ▲ 3.6% | 16th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,382 | 19,568 | ▲ 1.0% | 31st of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,997 | $56,501 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 798 | 1,055 | ▲ 32.2% | 9th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 156 | 107 | ▼ 31.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 78 MW of capacity, 71% of it wind. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Employers here counted 19,568 jobs in 2025, up 1.0% from 2019. 67,734 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 107, down 31.4% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $49,103 a year.
Who powers Clay County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clay 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% |
| Lake Region Electric Cooperative - (MN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 27,239 | 13.28¢ | 26% |
| City of Moorhead - (MN) | Municipal | Bundled | 18,180 | 11.38¢ | 8% |
| Wild Rice Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,948 | 14.35¢ | 20% |
| City of Barnesville - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hawley Public Utilities Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
| Red River Valley Coop Pwr 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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 55 MW | 71% |
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 15% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 8% |
| Coal | 5 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeswind Power Partners | Lakeswind Power Partners | Wind | 52 MW | 2014 |
| Centennial Generating Station | City of Moorhead - (MN) | Petroleum | 12 MW | 2011 |
| American Crystal Sugar Moorhead | American Crystal Sugar Co | Coal | 5 MW | 1948 |
| Agassiz Beach LLC | CHI Operations Inc | Wind | 2 MW | 2001 |
| Moorhead Wind Turbine | City of Moorhead - (MN) | Wind | 1 MW | 1999 |
| Spring Prairie Solar LLC CSG | United States Solar Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,568 | $56,501 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,055 | $71,860 | 1.02 |
| Electrical contractors | 107 | $49,103 | 0.76 |
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 Clay County
1 data center in Clay County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clay County, Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 67,734 | ▲ 1.0% | 78 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Becker County | 35,497 | ▲ 4.9% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County ND | 201,794 | ▲ 7.1% | 4 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Norman County | 6,336 | ▲ 18.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Otter Tail County | 61,041 | ▼ 1.1% | 53 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County ND | 16,731 | ▲ 0.9% | 2 MW | 295 MW | — | — |
| Wilkin County | 6,288 | ▼ 8.2% | — | 1 MW | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Minnesota?
9 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Lake Region Electric Cooperative - (MN), City of Moorhead - (MN). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Moorhead, MN in?
Moorhead is in Clay County, Minnesota. About 46,533 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Clay County?
11 operating plants with 78 MW of capacity. The largest is Lakeswind Power Partners (52 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Clay County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Clay County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,568 jobs in 2025 against 19,382 in 2019 (+1.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 798 to 1,055.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.