Freeborn County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Albert Lea
The data center boom is not abstract in Freeborn County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Freeborn County. Freeborn County is home to Albert Lea, Bancroft Township, Clarks Grove and Pickerel Lake Township. Construction employs 549, up 20.1% since 2019. 227 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Freeborn County
Freeborn County is home to Albert Lea, Bancroft Township, Clarks Grove and Pickerel Lake Township.
And 9 smaller places.
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 Freeborn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,899 | 30,440 | ▼ 1.5% | 37th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,087 | 11,723 | ▼ 3.0% | 61st of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,212 | $55,768 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 457 | 549 | ▲ 20.1% | 19th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 88 | 86 | ▼ 2.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 227 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 428 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind. Employers here counted 11,723 jobs in 2025, down 3.0% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 86, down 2.3% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $91,752 a year. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Freeborn County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 30,440 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Freeborn County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +227 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Freeborn 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% |
| Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,842 | 15.15¢ | 28% |
| Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,725 | 15.63¢ | 20% |
| Heartland Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 38 | 12.14¢ | 0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 422 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeborn Wind Farm | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Wind | 218 MW | 2021 |
| Bent Tree Wind Farm Phase 1 | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Wind | 201 MW | 2011 |
| Bancroft (MN) | OneEnergy, Inc. | Solar | 3 MW | 2025 |
| REG Juhl Glenville Wind, LLC | REG Juhl Glenville Wind, LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Goose Lake MN DPC-GM | ENGIE Generation North America LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| USS All In Solar LLC CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Freeborn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,723 | $55,768 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 549 | $77,743 | 0.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 86 | $91,752 | 1.02 |
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 Freeborn County
1 data center in Freeborn County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Freeborn County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Freeborn County, Mower 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeborn County | 30,440 | ▼ 3.0% | 428 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Faribault County | 13,888 | ▼ 0.4% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Mower County | 40,971 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,145 MW | — | — | — |
| Steele County | 37,464 | ▼ 11.9% | 125 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Waseca County | 18,688 | ▼ 9.9% | 38 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Winnebago County IA | 10,251 | ▼ 9.6% | 332 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County IA | 7,338 | ▼ 3.3% | 355 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Freeborn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Freeborn County, Minnesota?
4 utilities have service territory in Freeborn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative, Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric, Heartland Power Coop. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Albert Lea, MN in?
Albert Lea is in Freeborn County, Minnesota. About 18,217 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Freeborn County?
7 operating plants with 428 MW of capacity. The largest is Freeborn Wind Farm (218 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Freeborn County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Freeborn County.
Is Freeborn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,723 jobs in 2025 against 12,087 in 2019 (-3.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 457 to 549.
Does Freeborn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Freeborn County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.