Renville County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Olivia, Renville and Fairfax
No data center or power plant project is on record in Renville County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Renville County is home to Olivia, Renville, Fairfax and Hector. Construction employs 163, down 6.3% since 2019. 24 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 38 MW of capacity, 75% of it solar. Employers here counted 5,595 jobs in 2025, down 2.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Renville County
Renville County is home to Olivia, Renville, Fairfax and Hector.
And 13 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 Renville County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,691 | 14,356 | ▼ 2.3% | 58th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,751 | 5,595 | ▼ 2.7% | 59th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,996 | $57,036 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 174 | 163 | ▼ 6.3% | 61st of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40 | 37 | ▼ 7.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 5.4% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 24 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Renville County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 37, down 7.5% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $69,726 a year. 14,356 people live here, down 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Renville County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +24 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Renville 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% |
| Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,572 | 14.09¢ | 15% |
| Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,931 | 12.22¢ | 8% |
| Brown County Rural Elec Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Fairfax - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| McLeod Cooperative Power Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Olivia - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Renville-Sibley Coop Pwr Assn | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 29 MW | 75% |
| Coal | 8 MW | 20% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar | Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar | Coal | 8 MW | 1976 |
| Kramer Solar CSG | Geronimo Power | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
| Fairfax | City of Fairfax - (MN) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2001 |
| Allie L.L.C. (CSG) | Allie L.L.C. | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
| Novel Schroeder Solar LLC CSG | REA Investments, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
| USS Prokosch Solar LLC | United States Solar Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
The Renville County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,595 | $57,036 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 163 | $64,085 | 0.55 |
| Electrical contractors | 37 | $69,726 | 0.92 |
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 Renville County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Renville County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Renville County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Renville County, McLeod 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renville County | 14,356 | ▼ 2.7% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 25,517 | ▼ 4.7% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 12,406 | ▼ 10.6% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Kandiyohi County | 44,720 | ▼ 3.3% | 26 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| McLeod County | 36,631 | ▼ 1.0% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Meeker County | 23,603 | ▲ 4.5% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Nicollet County | 34,273 | ▼ 5.3% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Redwood County | 15,265 | ▼ 0.7% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Sibley County | 15,356 | ▼ 11.9% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,477 | ▼ 10.9% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Renville County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Renville County, Minnesota?
8 utilities have service territory in Renville County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn, Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn, Brown County Rural Elec Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Renville County?
29 operating plants with 38 MW of capacity. The largest is Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar (8 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Renville County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Renville County.
Is Renville County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,595 jobs in 2025 against 5,751 in 2019 (-2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 174 to 163.
Does Renville County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Renville County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.