Goodhue County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Red Wing, Cannon Falls and Zumbrota
Goodhue County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Goodhue County. Goodhue County is home to Red Wing, Cannon Falls, Zumbrota and most of Pine Island (3,009 of its 3,911 residents). 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Pine Island Data Center Development. Owners plan to retire 1,186 MW more by 2035, led by Prairie Island in 2033. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Goodhue County
Goodhue County is home to Red Wing, Cannon Falls, Zumbrota and most of Pine Island (3,009 of its 3,911 residents).
And 7 smaller places.
- Pine Island also extends into Olmsted County.
- Lake City also extends into Wabasha County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Frontenac.
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 Goodhue County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 47,594 | 48,195 | ▲ 1.3% | 20th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,652 | 21,796 | ▲ 0.7% | 33rd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,769 | $63,187 | ▲ 29.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 871 | 987 | ▲ 13.3% | 27th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 32 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 987, up 13.3% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,611 MW of capacity, 74% of it nuclear, the 2nd largest fleet in Minnesota. 32 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 378, at an average $114,816 a year. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Goodhue County, one of 6 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 21,796 jobs in 2025, up 0.7% from 2019. 48,195 people live here, up 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Goodhue County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +32 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Goodhue 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% |
| Dakota Electric Association | Cooperative | Bundled | 108,097 | 14.00¢ | 49% |
| Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,725 | 15.63¢ | 20% |
| Goodhue County Coop Elec Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| Kenyon Municipal Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lake City - (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 32
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 1,186 MW | 74% |
| Natural gas | 347 MW | 22% |
| Solar | 50 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 23 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Island | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Nuclear | 1,186 MW | 1974 |
| Cannon Falls Energy Center | Invenergy Services LLC | Natural gas | 347 MW | 2008 |
| Red Wing | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Other technologies | 23 MW | 1949 |
| Kenyon Municipal | Kenyon Municipal Utilities - (MN) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1997 |
| Foreman's Hill Community Solar | Foreman's Hill CSG LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Frontenac Holdco LLC, CSG | Frontenac Holdco LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Island | Nuclear | 593 MW | 2033 |
| Prairie Island | Nuclear | 593 MW | 2034 |
The Goodhue County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,796 | $63,187 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 987 | $89,613 | 0.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 378 | $114,816 | 2.40 |
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 Goodhue County
1 data center in Goodhue County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Island Data Center Development | litigation active | — |
Goodhue County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Goodhue County, Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodhue County | 48,195 | ▲ 0.7% | 1,611 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dakota County | 457,710 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,065 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Dodge County | 21,376 | ▼ 1.1% | 76 MW | 228 MW | — | — |
| Olmsted County | 166,731 | ▲ 4.5% | 231 MW | 33 MW | 5 | — |
| Pepin County WI | 7,513 | ▲ 6.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Pierce County WI | 43,519 | ▲ 0.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Rice County | 69,939 | ▲ 3.5% | 404 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Wabasha County | 21,537 | ▼ 4.1% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Goodhue County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Goodhue County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Goodhue County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Dakota Electric Association, Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric, Goodhue County Coop Elec Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Red Wing, MN in?
Red Wing is in Goodhue County, Minnesota. About 16,805 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Goodhue County?
32 operating plants with 1,611 MW of capacity. The largest is Prairie Island (1,186 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Goodhue County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Goodhue County.
Is Goodhue County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,796 jobs in 2025 against 21,652 in 2019 (+0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 871 to 987.
Does Goodhue County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Goodhue County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.