Otter Tail County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fergus Falls, Perham and Pelican Rapids
No data center or power plant project is on record in Otter Tail County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Otter Tail County is home to Fergus Falls, Perham, Pelican Rapids and Aurdal Township. Next door, Clay County has 1 data center. 132 MW has retired here since 2019, including Hoot Lake (coal, 129 MW, 2021). Construction employs 1,258, up 4.0% since 2019. 50 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Otter Tail County
Otter Tail County is home to Fergus Falls, Perham, Pelican Rapids and Aurdal Township.
And 16 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 Otter Tail County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 60,098 | 61,041 | ▲ 1.6% | 17th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,824 | 22,581 | ▼ 1.1% | 45th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,728 | $54,321 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,210 | 1,258 | ▲ 4.0% | 43rd of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.8% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 50 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 132 MW | — |
Its power plants have 53 MW of capacity, 94% of it solar. ALLETE, Inc. is the largest utility serving Otter Tail County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Employers here counted 22,581 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 61,041 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Otter Tail County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −82 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Otter Tail County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Lake Region Electric Cooperative - (MN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 27,239 | 13.28¢ | 26% |
| Runestone Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,282 | 14.36¢ | 10% |
| City of Henning - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wadena - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| Todd-Wadena 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 50 MW | 94% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 4% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoot Lake Solar | Otter Tail Power Co | Solar | 50 MW | 2023 |
| Lake Region Community Hybrid, LLC | Lake Region Community Hybrid, LLC | Wind | 2 MW | 2018 |
| Hoot Lake | Otter Tail Power Co | Hydro | 1 MW | 1914 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoot Lake | Coal | 129 MW | 2021 |
| Fergus Control Ctr | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Hoot Lake | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2021 |
The Otter Tail County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 22,581 | $54,321 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,258 | $63,933 | 1.05 |
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 Otter Tail County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Otter Tail County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Otter Tail County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Otter Tail County, Clay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail County | 61,041 | ▼ 1.1% | 53 MW | — | — | — |
| Becker County | 35,497 | ▲ 4.9% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 67,734 | ▲ 1.0% | 78 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Douglas County | 40,120 | ▲ 1.9% | 17 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Grant County | 6,085 | ● 0.0% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Todd County | 26,060 | ▲ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Wadena County | 14,388 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilkin County | 6,288 | ▼ 8.2% | — | 1 MW | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Otter Tail County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Otter Tail County, Minnesota?
8 utilities have service territory in Otter Tail County in the EIA-861 2024 report: ALLETE, Inc., Otter Tail Power Co, Lake Region Electric Cooperative - (MN), Runestone Electric Assn. The largest, ALLETE, Inc., charged residential customers 15.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fergus Falls, MN in?
Fergus Falls is in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. About 14,246 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Otter Tail County?
3 operating plants with 53 MW of capacity. The largest is Hoot Lake Solar (50 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Otter Tail County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Otter Tail County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clay County.
Is Otter Tail County adding jobs?
Employers counted 22,581 jobs in 2025 against 22,824 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,210 to 1,258.
Does Otter Tail County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Otter Tail County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.