Rock County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Luverne
Rock 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. Rock County is home to Luverne and Hills. Construction employs 148, up 37.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 3,898 jobs in 2025, up 17.3% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 87 Minnesota counties). Next door, Minnehaha County, South Dakota, has 6 data centers. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Rock County
Rock County is home to Luverne and Hills.
- Jasper also extends into Pipestone County.
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 Rock County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,685 | 9,524 | ▼ 1.7% | 70th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,322 | 3,898 | ▲ 17.3% | 2nd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,725 | $55,647 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 108 | 148 | ▲ 37.0% | 6th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 121 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — |
13 MW has retired here since 2019, including Minwind 3-9 (wind, 12 MW, 2022). 121 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 328 MW of capacity, 97% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 23, at an average $60,964 a year. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Rock County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. 9,524 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Rock County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +109 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rock 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% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,370 | 12.61¢ | 5% |
| City of Luverne - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 319 MW | 97% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Rose Wind Farm | Prairie Rose Wind Farm | Wind | 200 MW | 2012 |
| Walleye Wind | Walleye Wind, LLC | Wind | 110 MW | 2022 |
| Luverne | City of Luverne - (MN) | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1967 |
| Rock County Wind Fuel, LLC | Rock County Wind Fuel, LLC | Wind | 5 MW | 2020 |
| Minwind | Community Renewables, LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2002 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minwind 3-9 | Wind | 12 MW | 2022 |
| Laverne Battery | Battery storage | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Rock County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,898 | $55,647 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 148 | $51,885 | 0.72 |
| Electrical contractors | 23 | $60,964 | 0.82 |
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 Rock County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rock County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Minnehaha County.
Rock County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Rock County, Minnehaha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock County | 9,524 | ▲ 17.3% | 328 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyon County IA | 12,354 | ▲ 6.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Minnehaha County SD | 212,691 | ▲ 8.7% | 406 MW | — | 6 | 1 |
| Moody County SD | 6,632 | ▼ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Murray County | 7,942 | ▼ 2.9% | 359 MW | — | — | — |
| Nobles County | 22,338 | ▼ 4.8% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Pipestone County | 9,260 | ▼ 5.3% | 385 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Rock County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rock County, Minnesota?
4 utilities have service territory in Rock County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop, City of Luverne - (MN), Nobles Cooperative Electric. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Rock County?
5 operating plants with 328 MW of capacity. The largest is Prairie Rose Wind Farm (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Rock County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rock County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Minnehaha County.
Is Rock County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,898 jobs in 2025 against 3,322 in 2019 (+17.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 108 to 148.
Does Rock County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rock County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.