Pope County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Glenwood, Starbuck and Glenwood Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pope County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pope County is home to Glenwood, Starbuck, Glenwood Township and Leven Township. Next door, Stearns County has 1 data center. Construction employs 161, up 12.6% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Pope County
Pope County is home to Glenwood, Starbuck, Glenwood Township and Leven Township.
And 3 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 Pope County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,327 | 11,420 | ▲ 0.8% | 64th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,489 | 4,400 | ▼ 2.0% | 55th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,145 | $57,343 | ▲ 29.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 143 | 161 | ▲ 12.6% | 29th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 29 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 4,400 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Pope 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. 11,420 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Pope County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +15 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pope 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% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,138 | 13.88¢ | 18% |
| Runestone Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,282 | 14.36¢ | 10% |
| Agralite Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,333 | 13.94¢ | 28% |
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 19
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 29 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PopeSun CSG, LLC | SunStrong Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Vega Community Solar | Vega Community Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Armstrong Solar | ETCAP NES CS MN 06 LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2018 |
| Aquila Community Solar | Geronimo Power | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
| USS Viceroy Solar LLC CSG | United States Solar Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
| USS Monarch Solar LLC CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Pope County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,400 | $57,343 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 161 | $67,741 | 0.69 |
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 Pope County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pope County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Pope County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pope County, Stearns 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County | 11,420 | ▼ 2.0% | 29 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 40,120 | ▲ 1.9% | 17 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Grant County | 6,085 | ● 0.0% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Kandiyohi County | 44,720 | ▼ 3.3% | 26 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Stearns County | 164,110 | ● 0.0% | 192 MW | 6 MW | 1 | — |
| Stevens County | 9,747 | ▲ 4.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Swift County | 9,763 | ▲ 2.2% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Pope County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pope County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Pope County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Stearns Cooperative Elec Assn, Runestone Electric Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pope County?
19 operating plants with 29 MW of capacity. The largest is PopeSun CSG, LLC (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Pope County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pope County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stearns County.
Is Pope County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,400 jobs in 2025 against 4,489 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 143 to 161.
Does Pope County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pope County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.