Lake County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Two Harbors, Silver Bay and Silver Creek Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Lake County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Lake County is home to Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Silver Creek Township and Fall Lake Township. Next door, St. Louis County has 7 data centers. Employers here counted 4,000 jobs in 2025, down 4.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 136 MW of capacity, 97% of it coal. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Lake County
Lake County is home to Two Harbors, Silver Bay, Silver Creek Township and Fall Lake Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Finland, Knife River.
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 Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,923 | 10,746 | ▼ 1.6% | 66th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,206 | 4,000 | ▼ 4.9% | 70th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,055 | $55,708 | ▲ 26.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
ALLETE, Inc. is the largest utility serving Lake County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 10,746 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Lake County
Utilities with service territory in Lake County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| Lake Country Power | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,204 | 17.90¢ | 17% |
| Arrowhead Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Cooperative L&P Assn Lake County | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Two Harbors- (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 132 MW | 97% |
| Hydro | 4 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Bay Power | Cleveland Cliffs Inc | Coal | 132 MW | 1955 |
| Winton | ALLETE, Inc. | Hydro | 4 MW | 1923 |
The Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,000 | $55,708 | 1.00 |
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 Lake County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lake County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Lake County, St. Louis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 10,746 | ▼ 4.9% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Cook County | 5,522 | ▼ 8.2% | 25 MW | — | — | — |
| St. Louis County | 200,518 | ▼ 3.4% | 269 MW | — | 7 | — |
More of Minnesota
Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lake County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: ALLETE, Inc., Lake Country Power, Arrowhead Electric Coop, Inc, Cooperative L&P Assn Lake County. The largest, ALLETE, Inc., charged residential customers 15.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lake County?
2 operating plants with 136 MW of capacity. The largest is Silver Bay Power (132 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Lake County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lake County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Louis County.
Is Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,000 jobs in 2025 against 4,206 in 2019 (-4.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lake County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.