Jackson County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jackson and Lakefield
No data center or power plant project is on record in Jackson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Jackson County is home to Jackson, Lakefield and Heron Lake. Next door, Cottonwood County has 200 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 108, down 8.5% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 4,837 jobs in 2025, down 5.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Jackson County
Jackson County is home to Jackson, Lakefield and Heron Lake.
And 2 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fish Lake.
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 Jackson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,990 | 9,857 | ▼ 1.3% | 67th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,123 | 4,837 | ▼ 5.6% | 74th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,518 | $49,913 | ▲ 23.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 118 | 108 | ▼ 8.5% | 63rd of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 359 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind. Federated Rural Electric Assn is the largest utility serving Jackson County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.64¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 9,857 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Jackson County
Utilities with service territory in Jackson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federated Rural Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,727 | 11.64¢ | 17% |
| South Central Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,665 | 15.20¢ | 23% |
| City of Alpha - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Jackson - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Lakefield - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 355 MW | 99% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakefield Wind Project LLC | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 206 MW | 2011 |
| Elm Creek Wind LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 99 MW | 2008 |
| Ewington Energy Systems, LLC | Ewington Energy Systems, LLC | Wind | 22 MW | 2008 |
| South Fork Wind Farm | South Fork Wind, LLC | Wind | 14 MW | 2016 |
| Cisco | ALLETE Clean Energy | Wind | 8 MW | 2008 |
| Lakefield Utilities | City of Lakefield - (MN) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 1985 |
The Jackson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,837 | $49,913 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 108 | $57,316 | 0.42 |
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 Jackson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jackson County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Dickinson County, Emmet County.
Jackson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Jackson County, Cottonwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County | 9,857 | ▼ 5.6% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Cottonwood County | 11,405 | ▼ 6.1% | 306 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Dickinson County IA | 18,077 | ▲ 0.6% | 164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Emmet County IA | 9,107 | ▼ 12.1% | 17 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Martin County | 19,440 | ▼ 1.2% | 845 MW | — | — | — |
| Nobles County | 22,338 | ▼ 4.8% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Osceola County IA | 5,980 | ▲ 9.7% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Watonwan County | 11,459 | ▲ 2.6% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Jackson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jackson County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Jackson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Federated Rural Electric Assn, South Central Electric Assn, City of Alpha - (MN), City of Jackson - (MN). The largest, Federated Rural Electric Assn, charged residential customers 11.64¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jackson County?
9 operating plants with 359 MW of capacity. The largest is Lakefield Wind Project LLC (206 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Jackson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jackson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cottonwood County.
Is Jackson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,837 jobs in 2025 against 5,123 in 2019 (-5.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 118 to 108.
Does Jackson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jackson County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.