Red Lake County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Red Lake Falls
No data center or power plant project is on record in Red Lake County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Red Lake County is home to Red Lake Falls. Next door, Polk County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 6.9% in August 2026, against 5.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 958 jobs in 2025, down 7.9% from 2019. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Red Lake County
Red Lake County is home to Red Lake Falls.
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 Red Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,937 | 3,940 | ▲ 0.1% | 85th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,040 | 958 | ▼ 7.9% | 77th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,893 | $45,577 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.7% | 6.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 82% of it wind. Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Red Lake 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. 3,940 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Red Lake County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Red Lake 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% |
| Clearwater-Polk Elec Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 5 MW | 82% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 18% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lake Falls Community Hybrid | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 6 MW | 2020 |
The Red Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 958 | $45,577 | 1.00 |
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 Red Lake County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Red Lake County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Red Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Red Lake County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Lake County | 3,940 | ▼ 7.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Pennington County | 13,686 | ▼ 7.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 30,545 | ▼ 1.2% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Minnesota
Red Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Red Lake County, Minnesota?
3 utilities have service territory in Red Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Clearwater-Polk Elec Coop Inc, 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 Red Lake County?
1 operating plant with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Red Lake Falls Community Hybrid (6 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Red Lake County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Red Lake County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Polk County.
Is Red Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 958 jobs in 2025 against 1,040 in 2019 (-7.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Red Lake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Red Lake County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.