Pennington County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Thief River Falls and Rocksbury Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pennington County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pennington County is home to Thief River Falls, Rocksbury Township, North Township and Smiley Township. Electrical contractors employ 54, up 45.9% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $69,582 a year. Construction employs 176, up 24.8% since 2019. Next door, Polk County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 9,386 jobs in 2025, down 7.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Pennington County
Pennington County is home to Thief River Falls, Rocksbury Township, North Township and Smiley Township.
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 Pennington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,942 | 13,686 | ▼ 1.8% | 60th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,186 | 9,386 | ▼ 7.9% | 76th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,614 | $57,303 | ▲ 25.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 141 | 176 | ▲ 24.8% | 16th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37 | 54 | ▲ 45.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 92% of it petroleum. Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Pennington County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.33¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. 13,686 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Pennington County
Utilities with service territory in Pennington County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| City of Thief River Falls | — | — | — | — | — |
| Red Lake Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 92% |
| Hydro | 0 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thief River Falls | City of Thief River Falls - (MN) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1927 |
The Pennington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,386 | $57,303 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 176 | $56,945 | 0.35 |
| Electrical contractors | 54 | $69,582 | 0.80 |
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 Pennington County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pennington County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Pennington County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Pennington County, Beltrami 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennington County | 13,686 | ▼ 7.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Beltrami County | 47,055 | ▲ 2.5% | 51 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Clearwater County | 8,647 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 8,798 | ▲ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 30,545 | ▼ 1.2% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Red Lake County | 3,940 | ▼ 7.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Pennington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pennington County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Pennington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, City of Thief River Falls, Red Lake Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 11.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pennington County?
1 operating plant with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Thief River Falls (6 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Pennington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pennington County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Polk County.
Is Pennington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,386 jobs in 2025 against 10,186 in 2019 (-7.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 141 to 176.
Does Pennington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pennington County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.