Rice County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Faribault, Northfield and Lonsdale
No data center or power plant project is on record in Rice County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Rice County is home to Faribault, most of Northfield (20,744 of its 21,992 residents), Lonsdale and Webster Township. 6 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Bullrock-NxtGenREA (solar), the 9th largest pipeline among Minnesota's counties. 6 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Dakota County has 16 data centers. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 28 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Rice County
Rice County is home to Faribault, most of Northfield (20,744 of its 21,992 residents), Lonsdale and Webster Township.
- Northfield also extends into Dakota County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Warsaw.
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 Rice County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 67,105 | 69,939 | ▲ 4.2% | 14th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25,567 | 26,450 | ▲ 3.5% | 21st of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,361 | $61,410 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,131 | 1,119 | ▼ 1.1% | 53rd of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 28 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 6 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 9th of 15 by size |
Construction employs 1,119, down 1.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 404 MW of capacity, 83% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 26,450 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Rice 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. 69,939 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Rice County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +28 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rice 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% |
| Dakota Electric Association | Cooperative | Bundled | 108,097 | 14.00¢ | 49% |
| Minnesota Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,412 | 13.98¢ | 43% |
| Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,725 | 15.63¢ | 20% |
| Goodhue County Coop Elec 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 32
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 334 MW | 83% |
| Solar | 56 MW | 14% |
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 2% |
| Wind | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faribault Energy Park | Minnesota Municipal Power Agny | Natural gas | 334 MW | 2005 |
| Carleton College | Carleton College | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2004 |
| West Faribault Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 6 MW | 2016 |
| Northfield Holdco CSG | Northfield Holdco LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Dundas Solar Holdings LLC CSG | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Webster Holdco Solar CSG | Webster Holdco LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mazaska Garden | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Bullrock-NxtGenREA |
| Carver Garden | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Bullrock-NxtGenREA |
The Rice County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,450 | $61,410 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,119 | $73,722 | 0.80 |
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 Rice County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rice County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Le Sueur County.
Rice County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Rice County, Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice County | 69,939 | ▲ 3.5% | 404 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Dakota County | 457,710 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,065 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Dodge County | 21,376 | ▼ 1.1% | 76 MW | 228 MW | — | — |
| Goodhue County | 48,195 | ▲ 0.7% | 1,611 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Le Sueur County | 29,453 | ▼ 3.3% | 48 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Scott County | 159,017 | ▲ 16.6% | 442 MW | 136 MW | 5 | — |
| Steele County | 37,464 | ▼ 11.9% | 125 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Waseca County | 18,688 | ▼ 9.9% | 38 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Rice County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rice County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Rice County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Dakota Electric Association, Minnesota Valley Electric Coop, Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Faribault, MN in?
Faribault is in Rice County, Minnesota. About 25,040 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Northfield, MN in?
Most of Northfield is in Rice County: 20,744 of its 21,992 residents, or 94%. The rest of the city lies in Dakota County.
What power plants are in Rice County?
32 operating plants with 404 MW of capacity. The largest is Faribault Energy Park (334 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Rice County?
6 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 6 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Bullrock-NxtGenREA.
Are there data centers in Rice County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rice County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dakota County.
Is Rice County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,450 jobs in 2025 against 25,567 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,131 to 1,119.
Does Rice County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rice County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.