Redwood County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Redwood Falls
Redwood County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Redwood County is home to Redwood Falls, Morgan, Lamberton and Wabasso. Next door, Lyon County has 420 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 243, down 9.3% since 2019. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Redwood County
Redwood County is home to Redwood Falls, Morgan, Lamberton and Wabasso.
And 15 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 Redwood County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,417 | 15,265 | ▼ 1.0% | 55th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,036 | 5,995 | ▼ 0.7% | 41st of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,188 | $53,170 | ▲ 32.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 268 | 243 | ▼ 9.3% | 64th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.6% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 30 MW of capacity, 38% of it solar. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Redwood County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Employers here counted 5,995 jobs in 2025, down 0.7% from 2019. 15,265 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Redwood County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Redwood 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% |
| Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,931 | 12.22¢ | 8% |
| South Central Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,665 | 15.20¢ | 23% |
| Brown County Rural Elec Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
| Redwood Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Redwood Falls Public Util Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 11 MW | 38% |
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 29% |
| Natural gas | 6 MW | 19% |
| Wind | 3 MW | 11% |
| Hydro | 0 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood Falls | Redwood Falls Public Util Comm | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1970 |
| South Generation | Redwood Falls Public Util Comm | Petroleum | 7 MW | 2003 |
| Redwood Falls Wind | Southern Minnesota Mun P Agny | Wind | 3 MW | 2004 |
| Morgan Community Solar | Morgan Community Solar | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
| USS Dot Com Solar LLC CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
| Lantana Solar, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Redwood County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,995 | $53,170 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 243 | $61,641 | 0.77 |
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 Redwood County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Redwood County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Redwood County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Redwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood County | 15,265 | ▼ 0.7% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 25,517 | ▼ 4.7% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Cottonwood County | 11,405 | ▼ 6.1% | 306 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Lyon County | 25,684 | ▼ 4.2% | 121 MW | 420 MW | — | — |
| Murray County | 7,942 | ▼ 2.9% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Renville County | 14,356 | ▼ 2.7% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,477 | ▼ 10.9% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Redwood County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Redwood County, Minnesota?
9 utilities have service territory in Redwood County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn, South Central Electric Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Redwood County?
12 operating plants with 30 MW of capacity. The largest is Redwood Falls (8 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Redwood County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Redwood County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lyon County.
Is Redwood County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,995 jobs in 2025 against 6,036 in 2019 (-0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 268 to 243.
Does Redwood County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Redwood County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.