Lyon County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Marshall, Tracy and Minneota
Lyon County is where a large share of Minnesota's next power plants are planned. Lyon County is home to Marshall, Tracy, Minneota and Cottonwood. 420 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (natural gas), the 2nd largest pipeline among Minnesota's counties. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 19 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 61, up 7.0% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $62,818 a year.
Cities and towns in Lyon County
Lyon County is home to Marshall, Tracy, Minneota and Cottonwood.
And 6 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 Lyon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,429 | 25,684 | ▲ 1.0% | 41st of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,047 | 13,452 | ▼ 4.2% | 67th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,564 | $55,750 | ▲ 25.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 465 | 469 | ▲ 0.9% | 47th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57 | 61 | ▲ 7.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 19 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 420 MW | 347% of today's fleet | 2nd of 15 by size |
Construction employs 469, up 0.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 13,452 jobs in 2025, down 4.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 121 MW of capacity, 65% of it solar. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Lyon County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 25,684 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Lyon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +19 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lyon 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% |
| City of Marshall - (MN) | Municipal | Bundled | 5,857 | 9.70¢ | 16% |
| Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,931 | 12.22¢ | 8% |
| Lyon Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
| Redwood Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 79 MW | 65% |
| Wind | 19 MW | 16% |
| Petroleum | 18 MW | 15% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall Solar Energy Project | Marshall Solar Energy Project | Solar | 62 MW | 2017 |
| Marshall (MN) | City of Marshall - (MN) | Petroleum | 18 MW | 1969 |
| Marshall Solar Plus LLC | Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny | Solar | 15 MW | 2024 |
| Marshall Wind 2 LLC | Marshall Wind Farm, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2007 |
| Marshall Wind 3 LLC | Marshall Wind Farm, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2007 |
| Marshall Wind 4 LLC | Marshall Wind Farm, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2007 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County Generating Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 210 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota |
| Lyon County Generating Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 210 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota |
The Lyon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,452 | $55,750 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 469 | $72,896 | 0.66 |
| Electrical contractors | 61 | $62,818 | 0.63 |
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 Lyon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lyon County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Lyon County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lyon County, Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County | 25,684 | ▼ 4.2% | 121 MW | 420 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 5,583 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,052 MW | — | — | — |
| Murray County | 7,942 | ▼ 2.9% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Pipestone County | 9,260 | ▼ 5.3% | 385 MW | — | — | — |
| Redwood County | 15,265 | ▼ 0.7% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,477 | ▼ 10.9% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Lyon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lyon County, Minnesota?
7 utilities have service territory in Lyon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, City of Marshall - (MN), Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Marshall, MN in?
Marshall is in Lyon County, Minnesota. About 14,171 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lyon County?
14 operating plants with 121 MW of capacity. The largest is Marshall Solar Energy Project (62 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Lyon County?
420 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Northern States Power Co - Minnesota.
Are there data centers in Lyon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lyon County.
Is Lyon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,452 jobs in 2025 against 14,047 in 2019 (-4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 465 to 469.
Does Lyon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lyon County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.