Pine County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pine City, Pokegama Township and Sandstone
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Pine County. Pine County is home to Pine City, Pokegama Township, Sandstone and Hinckley. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Interim ordinance imposing a 12-month data center moratorium”. Construction employs 457, down 16.5% since 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 7,906 jobs in 2025, down 5.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Pine County
Pine County is home to Pine City, Pokegama Township, Sandstone and Hinckley.
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 Pine County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,886 | 30,472 | ▲ 5.5% | 36th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,325 | 7,906 | ▼ 5.0% | 71st of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,769 | $46,335 | ▲ 37.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 547 | 457 | ▼ 16.5% | 69th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7 | 7 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.2% | 6.6% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 28 MW of capacity, 89% of it petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 7, unchanged since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $68,291 a year. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Pine County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 6.6% in August 2026, against 6.2% in 2019. 30,472 people live here, up 5.5% since 2020.
Who powers Pine County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pine 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% |
| ALLETE, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 125,896 | 15.66¢ | 14% |
| East Central Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 55,250 | 16.89¢ | 29% |
| Lake Country Power | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,204 | 17.90¢ | 17% |
| Northwestern Wisconsin Elec Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 88 | 14.45¢ | 26% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 25 MW | 89% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Lake CT | Great River Energy | Petroleum | 25 MW | 1978 |
| Grand Casino Hinckley Solar | DG Central 1, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2022 |
The Pine County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,906 | $46,335 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 457 | $62,432 | 1.09 |
| Electrical contractors | 7 | $68,291 | 0.12 |
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 Pine County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interim ordinance imposing a 12-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-08 |
Pine County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Pine County, Chisago 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine County | 30,472 | ▼ 5.0% | 28 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Aitkin County | 16,252 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Burnett County WI | 17,223 | ▲ 12.8% | 11 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Carlton County | 36,711 | ▼ 0.5% | 182 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Chisago County | 59,142 | ▲ 4.2% | 191 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Douglas County WI | 43,990 | ▼ 0.7% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Isanti County | 44,386 | ▲ 0.1% | 215 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Kanabec County | 16,628 | ▲ 6.8% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Pine County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pine County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Pine County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, ALLETE, Inc., East Central Energy, Lake Country Power. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pine County?
2 operating plants with 28 MW of capacity. The largest is Rock Lake CT (25 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Pine County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pine County.
Is Pine County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,906 jobs in 2025 against 8,325 in 2019 (-5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 547 to 457.
Does Pine County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Pine County, 1 in force.