Fillmore County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Spring Valley, Chatfield and Rushford
Fillmore 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. Fillmore County is home to Spring Valley, most of Chatfield (1,866 of its 3,018 residents), Rushford and Preston. Next door, Olmsted County has 5 data centers. 52 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 261, up 1.2% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 35, up 6.1% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $59,172 a year.
Cities and towns in Fillmore County
Fillmore County is home to Spring Valley, most of Chatfield (1,866 of its 3,018 residents), Rushford and Preston.
And 13 smaller places.
- Chatfield also extends into Olmsted 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 Fillmore County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,235 | 21,540 | ▲ 1.4% | 46th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,111 | 6,170 | ▲ 1.0% | 30th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,948 | $45,673 | ▲ 30.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 258 | 261 | ▲ 1.2% | 46th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33 | 35 | ▲ 6.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 52 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 65 MW of capacity, 80% of it solar. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. People's Cooperative Services is the largest utility serving Fillmore County, one of 11 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.70¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Employers here counted 6,170 jobs in 2025, up 1.0% from 2019. 21,540 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Fillmore County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +52 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fillmore County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's Cooperative Services | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,665 | 16.70¢ | 22% |
| Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,842 | 15.15¢ | 28% |
| MiEnergy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,224 | 16.56¢ | 23% |
| City of Harmony - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lanesboro Public Utility Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Mabel - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Peterson - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Preston Public Utilities Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 52 MW | 80% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 15% |
| Natural gas | 3 MW | 5% |
| Hydro | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fillmore County Solar Project | Geronimo Power | Solar | 45 MW | 2024 |
| Spring Valley | Spring Valley Pub Utils Comm | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1952 |
| Preston (MN) | Preston Public Utilities Comm | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1949 |
| Fountain | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Hazel | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Lanesboro | Lanesboro Public Utility Comm | Hydro | 3 MW | 1923 |
The Fillmore County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,170 | $45,673 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 261 | $62,343 | 0.80 |
| Electrical contractors | 35 | $59,172 | 0.79 |
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 Fillmore County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fillmore County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Fillmore County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Fillmore County, Olmsted 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fillmore County | 21,540 | ▲ 1.0% | 65 MW | — | — | — |
| Houston County | 18,400 | ▼ 1.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Howard County IA | 9,415 | ▲ 4.3% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Mower County | 40,971 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,145 MW | — | — | — |
| Olmsted County | 166,731 | ▲ 4.5% | 231 MW | 33 MW | 5 | — |
| Winneshiek County IA | 19,733 | ▲ 1.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Winona County | 50,523 | ▼ 2.3% | 32 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Minnesota
Fillmore County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fillmore County, Minnesota?
11 utilities have service territory in Fillmore County in the EIA-861 2024 report: People's Cooperative Services, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative, MiEnergy Cooperative, City of Harmony - (MN). The largest, People's Cooperative Services, charged residential customers 16.70¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Fillmore County?
7 operating plants with 65 MW of capacity. The largest is Fillmore County Solar Project (45 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Fillmore County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fillmore County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Olmsted County.
Is Fillmore County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,170 jobs in 2025 against 6,111 in 2019 (+1.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 258 to 261.
Does Fillmore County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fillmore County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.