Le Sueur County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Le Sueur, Montgomery and New Prague
Le Sueur County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Le Sueur County is home to Le Sueur, Montgomery, part of New Prague (3,526 of its 8,238 residents) and Le Center. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through May 26, 2027”. Construction employs 607, up 0.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 35, up 9.4% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $58,223 a year. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Le Sueur County
Le Sueur County is home to Le Sueur, Montgomery, part of New Prague (3,526 of its 8,238 residents) and Le Center.
- New Prague also extends into Scott County.
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 Le Sueur County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,633 | 29,453 | ▲ 2.9% | 38th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,743 | 8,456 | ▼ 3.3% | 63rd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,979 | $57,051 | ▲ 26.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 602 | 607 | ▲ 0.8% | 48th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32 | 35 | ▲ 9.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 4.6% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 8,456 jobs in 2025, down 3.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 48 MW of capacity, 48% of it solar. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Le Sueur County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 29,453 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019.
Who powers Le Sueur County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Le Sueur 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% |
| Minnesota Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,412 | 13.98¢ | 43% |
| BENCO Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,361 | 15.03¢ | 24% |
| Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,725 | 15.63¢ | 20% |
| City of Kasota - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Le Sueur - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| New Prague Utilities Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Saint Peter | — | — | — | — | — |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 23 MW | 48% |
| Natural gas | 17 MW | 35% |
| Other technologies | 8 MW | 17% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Prague | New Prague Utilities Comm | Natural gas | 17 MW | 1944 |
| Hometown Bio Energy LLC | Hometown Bio Energy LLC | Other technologies | 8 MW | 2013 |
| LeSun CSG, LLC | SunStrong Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Waterville CSG Solar Holdings LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Lyra Community Solar | Lyra Community Solar | Solar | 3 MW | 2018 |
| Red Maple Solar | Terraform Arcadia | Solar | 3 MW | 2018 |
The Le Sueur County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,456 | $57,051 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 607 | $82,770 | 1.35 |
| Electrical contractors | 35 | $58,223 | 0.57 |
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 Le Sueur County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through May 26, 2027 | In force | 2026-05 |
Le Sueur County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Le Sueur County, Scott 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Sueur County | 29,453 | ▼ 3.3% | 48 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Blue Earth County | 70,634 | ▲ 3.0% | 826 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Nicollet County | 34,273 | ▼ 5.3% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Rice County | 69,939 | ▲ 3.5% | 404 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Scott County | 159,017 | ▲ 16.6% | 442 MW | 136 MW | 5 | — |
| Sibley County | 15,356 | ▼ 11.9% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Waseca County | 18,688 | ▼ 9.9% | 38 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Le Sueur County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Le Sueur County, Minnesota?
8 utilities have service territory in Le Sueur County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Minnesota Valley Electric Coop, BENCO Electric Cooperative, Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Le Sueur County?
13 operating plants with 48 MW of capacity. The largest is New Prague (17 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Le Sueur County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Le Sueur County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Scott County.
Is Le Sueur County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,456 jobs in 2025 against 8,743 in 2019 (-3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 602 to 607.
Does Le Sueur County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Le Sueur County, 1 in force.