Scott County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shakopee, Savage and Prior Lake
Scott County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Scott County, 4% of Minnesota's total. Scott County is home to Shakopee, Savage, Prior Lake and Belle Plaine. 136 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Northern States Power Co - Minnesota (battery storage), the 5th largest pipeline among Minnesota's counties. 136 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 6,027, up 15.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 63,836 jobs in 2025, up 16.6% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 87 Minnesota counties).
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is home to Shakopee, Savage, Prior Lake and Belle Plaine.
- New Prague also extends into Le Sueur 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 Scott County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 151,361 | 159,017 | ▲ 5.1% | 9th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 54,753 | 63,836 | ▲ 16.6% | 3rd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,505 | $65,996 | ▲ 28.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,226 | 6,027 | ▲ 15.3% | 25th of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 33 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 227 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 136 MW | 31% of today's fleet | 5th of 15 by size |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Owners plan to retire 333 MW more by 2035, led by Blue Lake in 2029. 227 MW has retired here since 2019, including Blue Lake (petroleum, 227 MW, 2025). 33 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 442 MW of capacity, 92% of it natural gas. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Scott 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. 159,017 people live here, up 5.1% since 2020, 9th of 87 Minnesota counties by population.
Who powers Scott County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −193 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Scott 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% |
| Shakopee Public Utilities Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 18,517 | 15.54¢ | 3% |
| New Prague Utilities 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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 408 MW | 92% |
| Other technologies | 23 MW | 5% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Natural gas | 362 MW | 2005 |
| Shakopee Energy Park | Minnesota Municipal Power Agny | Natural gas | 46 MW | 2017 |
| Koda Biomass Plant | Koda Energy LLC | Other technologies | 23 MW | 2009 |
| Blue Lake Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 3 MW | 2016 |
| Schultz CSG | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
| Shakopee Met Council WTP | Oak Leaf Solar V LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake BESS | Batteries | 136 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake | Petroleum | 227 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake | Natural gas | 333 MW | 2029 |
The Scott County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 63,836 | $65,996 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,027 | $95,673 | 1.78 |
| Electric utilities | 156 | $125,739 | 0.90 |
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 Scott County
5 data centers in Scott County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Scott County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Scott County, Hennepin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 159,017 | ▲ 16.6% | 442 MW | 136 MW | 5 | — |
| Carver County | 114,379 | ▲ 0.3% | 151 MW | — | 11 | — |
| Dakota County | 457,710 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,065 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Hennepin County | 1,284,784 | ▼ 1.9% | 696 MW | — | 48 | — |
| Le Sueur County | 29,453 | ▼ 3.3% | 48 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Rice County | 69,939 | ▲ 3.5% | 404 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Sibley County | 15,356 | ▼ 11.9% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Scott County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scott County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Scott County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Dakota Electric Association, Minnesota Valley Electric Coop, Shakopee Public Utilities Comm. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Shakopee, MN in?
Shakopee is in Scott County, Minnesota. About 49,366 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Savage, MN in?
Savage is in Scott County, Minnesota. About 32,970 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Prior Lake, MN in?
Prior Lake is in Scott County, Minnesota. About 28,140 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Scott County?
10 operating plants with 442 MW of capacity. The largest is Blue Lake (362 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Scott County?
136 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 136 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Northern States Power Co - Minnesota.
Are there data centers in Scott County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Scott County.
Is Scott County adding jobs?
Employers counted 63,836 jobs in 2025 against 54,753 in 2019 (+16.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,226 to 6,027.
Does Scott County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scott County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.