Cook County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Grand Marais
The power plants that defined Cook County are changing. Cook County is home to Grand Marais and Lutsen Township. 168 MW has retired here since 2019, including Taconite Harbor Energy Center (coal, 168 MW, 2023). Construction employs 128, down 6.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 2,646 jobs in 2025, down 8.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 25 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Cook County
Cook County is home to Grand Marais and Lutsen Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lutsen.
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 Cook County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,598 | 5,522 | ▼ 1.4% | 81st of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,881 | 2,646 | ▼ 8.2% | 79th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,918 | $48,434 | ▲ 47.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 137 | 128 | ▼ 6.6% | 62nd of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 168 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. ALLETE, Inc. is the largest utility serving Cook County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 5,522 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Cook County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −168 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cook County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| Arrowhead Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Grand Marais - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 25 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arrowhead Emergency Generating Station | Great River Energy | Petroleum | 18 MW | 2009 |
| Grand Marais | City of Grand Marais - (MN) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 2004 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taconite Harbor Energy Center | Coal | 168 MW | 2023 |
The Cook County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,646 | $48,434 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 128 | $53,121 | 0.91 |
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 Cook County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cook County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Cook County and its neighbors
Of the 1 counties that border Cook County, Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | 5,522 | ▼ 8.2% | 25 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 10,746 | ▼ 4.9% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Cook County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cook County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Cook County in the EIA-861 2024 report: ALLETE, Inc., Arrowhead Electric Coop, Inc, City of Grand Marais - (MN). The largest, ALLETE, Inc., charged residential customers 15.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cook County?
2 operating plants with 25 MW of capacity. The largest is Arrowhead Emergency Generating Station (18 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Cook County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cook County.
Is Cook County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,646 jobs in 2025 against 2,881 in 2019 (-8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 137 to 128.
Does Cook County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cook County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.