Meeker County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Litchfield, Dassel Township and Dassel
Meeker 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. Meeker County is home to Litchfield, Dassel Township, Dassel and Kingston Township. Next door, Stearns County has 1 data center. Construction employs 526, up 8.0% since 2019. 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Employers here counted 7,838 jobs in 2025, up 4.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Meeker County
Meeker County is home to Litchfield, Dassel Township, Dassel and Kingston Township.
And 2 smaller places.
- Eden Valley also extends into Stearns 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 Meeker County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,430 | 23,603 | ▲ 0.7% | 43rd of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,500 | 7,838 | ▲ 4.5% | 15th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,454 | $54,178 | ▲ 33.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 487 | 526 | ▲ 8.0% | 39th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.9% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 66 MW of capacity, 61% of it wind. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Meeker County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 23,603 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Meeker County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +10 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Meeker 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% |
| Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,714 | 14.59¢ | 30% |
| Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,572 | 14.09¢ | 15% |
| City of Grove City | — | — | — | — | — |
| Litchfield Public Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 40 MW | 61% |
| Petroleum | 22 MW | 33% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Litchfield | Litchfield Public Utilities | Petroleum | 22 MW | 1963 |
| Adams Wind Generations LLC | BEAM US, LLC | Wind | 20 MW | 2011 |
| Danielson Wind Farms LLC | BEAM US, LLC | Wind | 20 MW | 2011 |
| FastSun 1 CSG | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
| Meeker Community Solar One LLC CSG | Madison Energy Holdings LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
| SolarClub 30 (CSG) | Nautilus Solar Solutions | Solar | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Meeker County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,838 | $54,178 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 526 | $71,648 | 1.27 |
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 Meeker County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Meeker County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Wright County.
Meeker County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Meeker County, Wright 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meeker County | 23,603 | ▲ 4.5% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Kandiyohi County | 44,720 | ▼ 3.3% | 26 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| McLeod County | 36,631 | ▼ 1.0% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Renville County | 14,356 | ▼ 2.7% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
| Stearns County | 164,110 | ● 0.0% | 192 MW | 6 MW | 1 | — |
| Wright County | 157,559 | ▲ 9.4% | 806 MW | — | — | 2 |
More of Minnesota
Meeker County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Meeker County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Meeker County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn, Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn, City of Grove City. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Meeker County?
7 operating plants with 66 MW of capacity. The largest is Litchfield (22 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Meeker County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Meeker County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stearns County.
Is Meeker County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,838 jobs in 2025 against 7,500 in 2019 (+4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 487 to 526.
Does Meeker County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Meeker County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.