Olmsted County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rochester, Stewartville and Byron
The data center boom is not abstract in Olmsted County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Olmsted County, 4% of Minnesota's total. Olmsted County is home to Rochester, Stewartville, Byron and Marion Township. 33 MW of new generation is planned here across 9 units, led by Franklin Heating Station (other technologies), the 8th largest pipeline among Minnesota's counties. 30 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 4,491, up 12.2% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Olmsted County
Olmsted County is home to Rochester, Stewartville, Byron and Marion Township.
And 2 smaller places.
- Chatfield also extends into Fillmore County.
- Pine Island also extends into Goodhue County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): High Forest, Marion.
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 Olmsted County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 163,055 | 166,731 | ▲ 2.3% | 7th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 100,718 | 105,239 | ▲ 4.5% | 16th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $64,643 | $83,402 | ▲ 29.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,001 | 4,491 | ▲ 12.2% | 30th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 26 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 33 MW | 14% of today's fleet | 8th of 15 by size |
8 MW has retired here since 2019, including Franklin Heating Station (natural gas, 5 MW, 2021). 26 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 105,239 jobs in 2025, up 4.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 231 MW of capacity, 65% of it natural gas. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Olmsted 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. 166,731 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020, 7th of 87 Minnesota counties by population.
Who powers Olmsted County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +18 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Olmsted 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% |
| Rochester Public Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 54,943 | 17.91¢ | 59% |
| People's Cooperative Services | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,665 | 16.70¢ | 22% |
| Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,842 | 15.15¢ | 28% |
| MiEnergy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,224 | 16.56¢ | 23% |
| Goodhue County Coop Elec 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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 150 MW | 65% |
| Petroleum | 38 MW | 16% |
| Solar | 25 MW | 11% |
| Other technologies | 18 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Creek | Rochester Public Utilities | Natural gas | 85 MW | 1975 |
| Westside Energy Station | Rochester Public Utilities | Natural gas | 46 MW | 2018 |
| Franklin Heating Station | Franklin Heating Station | Petroleum | 34 MW | 1951 |
| Saint Marys Hospital Power Plant | St Mary's Hospital | Petroleum | 16 MW | 1971 |
| Olmsted Waste Energy | Olmsted County Public Works - (MN) | Other technologies | 11 MW | 1987 |
| Westside Solar | Westside Solar, LLC (Ecofin) | Solar | 10 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 9
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Heating Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 8 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Franklin Heating Station |
| Franklin Heating Station | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Franklin Heating Station |
| Franklin Heating Station | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Franklin Heating Station |
| Franklin Heating Station | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Franklin Heating Station |
| Franklin Heating Station | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Franklin Heating Station |
| Franklin Heating Station | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Franklin Heating Station |
| Franklin Heating Station | Petroleum Liquids | 3 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Franklin Heating Station |
| Ringe | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | OneEnergy, Inc. |
| Kalmar | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | OneEnergy, Inc. |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Heating Station | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Saint Marys Hospital Power Plant | Natural gas | 3 MW | 2020 |
The Olmsted County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 105,239 | $83,402 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,491 | $83,698 | 0.81 |
| Data processing and hosting | 9 | $135,221 | 0.03 |
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 Olmsted County
5 data centers in Olmsted County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Olmsted County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Olmsted County, Goodhue 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olmsted County | 166,731 | ▲ 4.5% | 231 MW | 33 MW | 5 | — |
| Dodge County | 21,376 | ▼ 1.1% | 76 MW | 228 MW | — | — |
| Fillmore County | 21,540 | ▲ 1.0% | 65 MW | — | — | — |
| Goodhue County | 48,195 | ▲ 0.7% | 1,611 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Mower County | 40,971 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,145 MW | — | — | — |
| Wabasha County | 21,537 | ▼ 4.1% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Winona County | 50,523 | ▼ 2.3% | 32 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Minnesota
Olmsted County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Olmsted County, Minnesota?
6 utilities have service territory in Olmsted County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Rochester Public Utilities, People's Cooperative Services, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Rochester, MN in?
Rochester is in Olmsted County, Minnesota. About 124,292 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Olmsted County?
17 operating plants with 231 MW of capacity. The largest is Cascade Creek (85 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Olmsted County?
33 MW across 9 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 30 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Franklin Heating Station.
Are there data centers in Olmsted County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Olmsted County.
Is Olmsted County adding jobs?
Employers counted 105,239 jobs in 2025 against 100,718 in 2019 (+4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,001 to 4,491.
Does Olmsted County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Olmsted County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.