Waseca County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waseca, Janesville and Woodville Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Waseca County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Waseca County is home to Waseca, Janesville, Woodville Township and New Richland. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Bullrock-NxtGenREA (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Steele County has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 5,429 jobs in 2025, down 9.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Waseca County
Waseca County is home to Waseca, Janesville, Woodville Township and New Richland.
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 Waseca County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,973 | 18,688 | ▼ 1.5% | 50th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,027 | 5,429 | ▼ 9.9% | 81st of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,954 | $55,100 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 13% of today's fleet | 11th of 15 by size |
15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 38 MW of capacity, 87% of it solar. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Waseca 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. 18,688 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Waseca County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +15 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Waseca 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% |
| Minnesota Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,412 | 13.98¢ | 43% |
| Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,725 | 15.63¢ | 20% |
| City of Janesville - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Waseca - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 21
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 33 MW | 87% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 13% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 10 MW | 2016 |
| WasecaSun | Geronimo Power | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Janesville | City of Janesville - (MN) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1955 |
| Altair Community Solar Garden | Geronimo Power | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
| Novel David Solar LLC CSG | REA Investments, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
| Silver Lake Garden | Excelsior Energy Capital | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crane Creek Garden | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Bullrock-NxtGenREA |
The Waseca County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,429 | $55,100 | 1.00 |
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 Waseca County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Waseca County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Le Sueur County.
Waseca County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Waseca County, Blue Earth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waseca County | 18,688 | ▼ 9.9% | 38 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Blue Earth County | 70,634 | ▲ 3.0% | 826 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Faribault County | 13,888 | ▼ 0.4% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Freeborn County | 30,440 | ▼ 3.0% | 428 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Le Sueur County | 29,453 | ▼ 3.3% | 48 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Rice County | 69,939 | ▲ 3.5% | 404 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Steele County | 37,464 | ▼ 11.9% | 125 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of Minnesota
Waseca County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Waseca County, Minnesota?
5 utilities have service territory in Waseca County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Minnesota Valley Electric Coop, Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric, City of Janesville - (MN). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Waseca County?
21 operating plants with 38 MW of capacity. The largest is Waseca Solar (10 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Waseca County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Bullrock-NxtGenREA.
Are there data centers in Waseca County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Waseca County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Steele County.
Is Waseca County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,429 jobs in 2025 against 6,027 in 2019 (-9.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Waseca County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Waseca County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.