Murray County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Slayton and Fulda
No data center or power plant project is on record in Murray County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Murray County is home to Slayton and Fulda. Next door, Lyon County has 420 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 147, down 10.4% since 2019. 104 MW has retired here since 2019, including Chanarambie Power Partners, LLC (wind, 86 MW, 2022). Electrical contractors employ 38, up 15.2% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $54,744 a year.
Cities and towns in Murray County
Murray County is home to Slayton and Fulda.
And 5 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): The Lakes.
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 Murray County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,177 | 7,942 | ▼ 2.9% | 75th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,951 | 2,866 | ▼ 2.9% | 60th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,781 | $53,019 | ▲ 36.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 164 | 147 | ▼ 10.4% | 67th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33 | 38 | ▲ 15.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.8% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 124 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 104 MW | — |
124 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 359 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind. Employers here counted 2,866 jobs in 2025, down 2.9% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Murray 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. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. 7,942 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Murray County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Murray 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% |
| Federated Rural Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,727 | 11.64¢ | 17% |
| South Central Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,665 | 15.20¢ | 23% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,370 | 12.61¢ | 5% |
| 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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 351 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 8 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenton Wind Farm | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 206 MW | 2007 |
| Northern Wind | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Wind | 100 MW | 2023 |
| Rock Aetna Power Partners | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Wind | 20 MW | 2022 |
| Eastridge Wind Project | Eastridge Wind Project | Wind | 10 MW | 2006 |
| Valley View Transmission LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 10 MW | 2011 |
| Windshare LLC | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Wind | 5 MW | 2006 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chanarambie Power Partners, LLC | Wind | 86 MW | 2022 |
| Viking Wind Partners | Wind | 12 MW | 2022 |
| Champepaden Wind Power | Wind | 2 MW | 2021 |
| Chandler Hills Wind Farm | Wind | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Murray County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,866 | $53,019 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 147 | $53,344 | 0.97 |
| Electrical contractors | 38 | $54,744 | 1.84 |
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 Murray County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Murray County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Murray County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Murray County, Lyon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray County | 7,942 | ▼ 2.9% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Cottonwood County | 11,405 | ▼ 6.1% | 306 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Lyon County | 25,684 | ▼ 4.2% | 121 MW | 420 MW | — | — |
| Nobles County | 22,338 | ▼ 4.8% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Pipestone County | 9,260 | ▼ 5.3% | 385 MW | — | — | — |
| Redwood County | 15,265 | ▼ 0.7% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Rock County | 9,524 | ▲ 17.3% | 328 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Murray County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Murray County, Minnesota?
7 utilities have service territory in Murray County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Federated Rural Electric Assn, South Central Electric Assn, Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Murray County?
13 operating plants with 359 MW of capacity. The largest is Fenton Wind Farm (206 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Murray County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Murray County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lyon County.
Is Murray County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,866 jobs in 2025 against 2,951 in 2019 (-2.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 164 to 147.
Does Murray County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Murray County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.