Nobles County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Worthington and Adrian
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Nobles County. Nobles County is home to Worthington, Adrian and Brewster. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Geronimo Power Nobles County. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 250 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Noble Ridge LLC (wind, 2 MW, 2025).
Cities and towns in Nobles County
Nobles County is home to Worthington, Adrian and Brewster.
And 6 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Leota.
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 Nobles County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,201 | 22,338 | ▲ 0.6% | 45th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,465 | 9,959 | ▼ 4.8% | 69th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,726 | $58,941 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 242 | 247 | ▲ 2.1% | 45th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 250 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Its power plants have 509 MW of capacity, 97% of it wind. Construction employs 247, up 2.1% since 2019. Employers here counted 9,959 jobs in 2025, down 4.8% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Nobles County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 22,338 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Nobles County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +248 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Nobles 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% |
| City of Worthington - (MN) | Municipal | Bundled | 4,662 | 12.08¢ | 37% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,370 | 12.61¢ | 5% |
| Adrian Public Utilities Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Brewster - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Rushmore - (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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 493 MW | 97% |
| Petroleum | 16 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nobles 2 Wind Project | Nobles 2 Power Partners, LLC | Wind | 250 MW | 2020 |
| Nobles Wind Project | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Wind | 201 MW | 2010 |
| Community Wind South | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Wind | 30 MW | 2012 |
| Worthington | City of Worthington - (MN) | Petroleum | 20 MW | 2002 |
| Adrian | Adrian Public Utilities Comm | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2005 |
| G Flow Wind LLC | Midwest Power Partners LLC | Wind | 1 MW | 2006 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noble Ridge LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Nobles County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,959 | $58,941 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 247 | $59,255 | 0.47 |
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 Nobles County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geronimo Power Nobles County | denied | — |
Nobles County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Nobles County, Cottonwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nobles County | 22,338 | ▼ 4.8% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Cottonwood County | 11,405 | ▼ 6.1% | 306 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Jackson County | 9,857 | ▼ 5.6% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyon County IA | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Murray County | 7,942 | ▼ 2.9% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Osceola County IA | 5,980 | ▲ 9.7% | 167 MW | — | — | — |
| Rock County | 9,524 | ▲ 17.3% | 328 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Nobles County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nobles County, Minnesota?
9 utilities have service territory in Nobles County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Federated Rural Electric Assn, City of Worthington - (MN), Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Worthington, MN in?
Worthington is in Nobles County, Minnesota. About 13,979 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Nobles County?
10 operating plants with 509 MW of capacity. The largest is Nobles 2 Wind Project (250 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Nobles County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nobles County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cottonwood County.
Is Nobles County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,959 jobs in 2025 against 10,465 in 2019 (-4.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 242 to 247.
Does Nobles County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nobles County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.