Pipestone County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pipestone and Edgerton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pipestone County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pipestone County is home to Pipestone, Edgerton and most of Jasper (531 of its 586 residents). Construction employs 322, up 27.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Lyon County has 420 MW of planned generation. 102 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 4,239 jobs in 2025, down 5.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Pipestone County
Pipestone County is home to Pipestone, Edgerton and most of Jasper (531 of its 586 residents).
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 Pipestone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,418 | 9,260 | ▼ 1.7% | 72nd of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,478 | 4,239 | ▼ 5.3% | 73rd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,111 | $52,558 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 253 | 322 | ▲ 27.3% | 14th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.1% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 102 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 385 MW of capacity, 96% of it wind. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Pipestone County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 9,260 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Pipestone County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +102 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pipestone 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% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,370 | 12.61¢ | 5% |
| Lyon Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
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 29
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 371 MW | 96% |
| Solar | 14 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Benton II | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Wind | 100 MW | 1999 |
| Stoneray Power Partners, LLC | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 100 MW | 2019 |
| Moraine Wind LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 51 MW | 2003 |
| Moraine II Wind LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 50 MW | 2009 |
| Ridgewind | Ridgewind Power Partners LLC | Wind | 25 MW | 2011 |
| Woodstock Windfarm | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 9 MW | 1999 |
The Pipestone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,239 | $52,558 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 322 | $70,001 | 1.43 |
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 Pipestone County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pipestone County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Minnehaha County.
Pipestone County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Pipestone County, Lyon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pipestone County | 9,260 | ▼ 5.3% | 385 MW | — | — | — |
| Brookings County SD | 37,635 | ▲ 5.2% | 682 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 5,583 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,052 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyon County | 25,684 | ▼ 4.2% | 121 MW | 420 MW | — | — |
| Minnehaha County SD | 212,691 | ▲ 8.7% | 406 MW | — | 6 | 1 |
| Moody County SD | 6,632 | ▼ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Murray County | 7,942 | ▼ 2.9% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Rock County | 9,524 | ▲ 17.3% | 328 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Pipestone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pipestone County, Minnesota?
4 utilities have service territory in Pipestone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop, Lyon Electric Cooperative, Inc., Nobles Cooperative Electric. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pipestone County?
29 operating plants with 385 MW of capacity. The largest is Lake Benton II (100 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Pipestone County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pipestone County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lyon County.
Is Pipestone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,239 jobs in 2025 against 4,478 in 2019 (-5.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 253 to 322.
Does Pipestone County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pipestone County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.