Isanti County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cambridge, Isanti and Bradford Township
Isanti County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 191, up 516.1% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $65,212 a year. Construction employs 750, up 55.0% since 2019. Isanti County is home to Cambridge, Isanti, Bradford Township and Cambridge Township. 1 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Great River Energy (battery storage). 1 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Sherburne County has 2 data centers and 611 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Isanti County
Isanti County is home to Cambridge, Isanti, Bradford Township and Cambridge Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Stanchfield.
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 Isanti County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 41,385 | 44,386 | ▲ 7.3% | 24th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,160 | 11,167 | ▲ 0.1% | 36th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,121 | $52,108 | ▲ 26.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 484 | 750 | ▲ 55.0% | 2nd of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31 | 191 | ▲ 516.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 5.6% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 12th of 15 by size |
Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 215 MW of capacity, 79% of it natural gas. Connexus Energy is the largest utility serving Isanti County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.66¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 44,386 people live here, up 7.3% since 2020. Employers here counted 11,167 jobs in 2025, up 0.1% from 2019.
Who powers Isanti County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Isanti County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connexus Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 134,095 | 13.66¢ | 30% |
| East Central Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 55,250 | 16.89¢ | 29% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 169 MW | 79% |
| Petroleum | 25 MW | 12% |
| Solar | 12 MW | 6% |
| Battery storage | 9 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge CT Hybrid | Great River Energy | Petroleum | 194 MW | 1978 |
| Athens MN CONX | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 7 MW | 2018 |
| Athens BESS | Gopher Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 6 MW | 2018 |
| Santee Solar Partners, LLC | REA Investments, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Athens - Coopers Corner BESS | Gopher Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 3 MW | 2018 |
| GRE Cambridge Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambridge CT Hybrid | Batteries | 1 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Great River Energy |
The Isanti County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,167 | $52,108 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 750 | $64,464 | 1.27 |
| Electrical contractors | 191 | $65,212 | 2.37 |
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 Isanti County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Isanti County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Pine County.
Isanti County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Isanti County, Sherburne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isanti County | 44,386 | ▲ 0.1% | 215 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Anoka County | 381,605 | ▲ 4.3% | 17 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Chisago County | 59,142 | ▲ 4.2% | 191 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Kanabec County | 16,628 | ▲ 6.8% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Mille Lacs County | 27,753 | ▼ 2.4% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Pine County | 30,472 | ▼ 5.0% | 28 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sherburne County | 104,194 | ▲ 8.4% | 2,670 MW | 611 MW | 2 | — |
More of Minnesota
Isanti County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Isanti County, Minnesota?
2 utilities have service territory in Isanti County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Connexus Energy, East Central Energy. The largest, Connexus Energy, charged residential customers 13.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cambridge, MN in?
Cambridge is in Isanti County, Minnesota. About 11,090 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Isanti County?
6 operating plants with 215 MW of capacity. The largest is Cambridge CT Hybrid (194 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Isanti County?
1 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 1 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Great River Energy.
Are there data centers in Isanti County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Isanti County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sherburne County.
Is Isanti County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,167 jobs in 2025 against 11,160 in 2019 (+0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 484 to 750.
Does Isanti County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Isanti County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.