Kandiyohi County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Willmar, New London Township and Dovre Township
Kandiyohi 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. Kandiyohi County is home to Willmar, New London Township, Dovre Township and Green Lake Township. Construction employs 1,423, up 34.6% since 2019. 1 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Pivot Energy (solar). 1 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Stearns County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Kandiyohi County
Kandiyohi County is home to Willmar, New London Township, Dovre Township and Green Lake Township.
And 11 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 Kandiyohi County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 43,727 | 44,720 | ▲ 2.3% | 23rd of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,068 | 23,281 | ▼ 3.3% | 62nd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,390 | $54,758 | ▲ 32.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,057 | 1,423 | ▲ 34.6% | 7th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 106 | 112 | ▲ 5.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 5.2% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 30 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1 MW | 4% of today's fleet | 13th of 15 by size |
30 MW has retired here since 2019, including Willmar (natural gas, 26 MW, 2020). 7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 112, up 5.7% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $62,760 a year. Employers here counted 23,281 jobs in 2025, down 3.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 26 MW of capacity, 54% of it solar. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Kandiyohi County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 44,720 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Kandiyohi County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −23 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kandiyohi 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% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,138 | 13.88¢ | 18% |
| Willmar Municipal Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 8,662 | 12.21¢ | 39% |
| Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,572 | 14.09¢ | 15% |
| Agralite Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,333 | 13.94¢ | 28% |
| Kandiyohi Power Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| McLeod Cooperative Power Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 14 MW | 54% |
| Petroleum | 12 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willmar Municipal East Substation | Willmar Municipal Utilities (MN) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2000 |
| Willmar Municipal SW Substation | Willmar Municipal Utilities (MN) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2000 |
| Atwater Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 4 MW | 2016 |
| Spica Community Solar | Spica Community Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
| Aster Community Solar Garden, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 1 MW | 2020 |
| Deneb Community Solar | Geronimo Power | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pivot Energy Minnesota Solar 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Pivot Energy |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willmar | Natural gas | 26 MW | 2020 |
| Willmar | Wind | 4 MW | 2024 |
The Kandiyohi County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,281 | $54,758 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,423 | $79,021 | 1.15 |
| Electrical contractors | 112 | $62,760 | 0.67 |
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 Kandiyohi County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kandiyohi County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Kandiyohi County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Kandiyohi County, Stearns 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kandiyohi County | 44,720 | ▼ 3.3% | 26 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 12,406 | ▼ 10.6% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Meeker County | 23,603 | ▲ 4.5% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Pope County | 11,420 | ▼ 2.0% | 29 MW | — | — | — |
| Renville County | 14,356 | ▼ 2.7% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
| Stearns County | 164,110 | ● 0.0% | 192 MW | 6 MW | 1 | — |
| Swift County | 9,763 | ▲ 2.2% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Kandiyohi County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota?
9 utilities have service territory in Kandiyohi County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn, Willmar Municipal Utilities. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Willmar, MN in?
Willmar is in Kandiyohi County, Minnesota. About 22,001 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kandiyohi County?
12 operating plants with 26 MW of capacity. The largest is Willmar Municipal East Substation (6 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Kandiyohi 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 Pivot Energy.
Are there data centers in Kandiyohi County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kandiyohi County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stearns County.
Is Kandiyohi County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,281 jobs in 2025 against 24,068 in 2019 (-3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,057 to 1,423.
Does Kandiyohi County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kandiyohi County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.