Washington County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Woodbury, Cottage Grove and Oakdale
Washington County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Washington County. Washington County is home to Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Oakdale and Forest Lake. Electrical contractors employ 292, up 63.1% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $73,545 a year. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. Construction employs 4,752, up 20.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to Woodbury, Cottage Grove, Oakdale and Forest Lake.
And 8 smaller places.
- White Bear Lake also extends into Ramsey 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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 268,397 | 286,895 | ▲ 6.9% | 5th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 88,430 | 96,635 | ▲ 9.3% | 7th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,121 | $63,636 | ▲ 29.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,931 | 4,752 | ▲ 20.9% | 17th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 179 | 292 | ▲ 63.1% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 202 | 541 | ▲ 167.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Owners plan to retire 598 MW more by 2035, led by Allen S King in 2028. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 96,635 jobs in 2025, up 9.3% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 87 Minnesota counties). Its power plants have 924 MW of capacity, 65% of it coal, the 7th largest fleet in Minnesota. 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Washington 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. 286,895 people live here, up 6.9% since 2020, 5th of 87 Minnesota counties by population.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +10 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington 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% |
| Connexus Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 134,095 | 13.66¢ | 30% |
| East Central Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 55,250 | 16.89¢ | 29% |
| City of North St Paul - (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 18
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 598 MW | 65% |
| Natural gas | 284 MW | 31% |
| Solar | 42 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allen S King | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Coal | 598 MW | 1958 |
| LSP-Cottage Grove LP | Cottage Grove Operating Services LLC | Natural gas | 284 MW | 1997 |
| Cottage Grove CSG, LLC | Ecoplexus, Inc | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Scandia CSG | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Forest Lake Solar CSG | Forest Lake Holdco LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Cottage Grove Project CSG | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen S King | Coal | 598 MW | 2028 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 96,635 | $63,636 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,752 | $92,119 | 0.93 |
| Electrical contractors | 292 | $73,545 | 0.42 |
| Power and communication line construction | 541 | $90,476 | 3.47 |
| Data processing and hosting | 106 | $121,911 | 0.35 |
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 Washington County
3 data centers in Washington County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-07 |
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 286,895 | ▲ 9.3% | 924 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Anoka County | 381,605 | ▲ 4.3% | 17 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Chisago County | 59,142 | ▲ 4.2% | 191 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Dakota County | 457,710 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,065 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Pierce County WI | 43,519 | ▲ 0.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County WI | 45,803 | ▼ 1.0% | 146 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ramsey County | 541,623 | ▼ 1.3% | 701 MW | — | 9 | — |
| St. Croix County WI | 98,276 | ▲ 9.5% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | 1 |
More of Minnesota
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Minnesota?
4 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Connexus Energy, East Central Energy, City of North St Paul - (MN). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Woodbury, MN in?
Woodbury is in Washington County, Minnesota. About 81,558 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cottage Grove, MN in?
Cottage Grove is in Washington County, Minnesota. About 43,604 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Oakdale, MN in?
Oakdale is in Washington County, Minnesota. About 30,588 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Washington County?
18 operating plants with 924 MW of capacity. The largest is Allen S King (598 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Washington County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 96,635 jobs in 2025 against 88,430 in 2019 (+9.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,931 to 4,752.
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Washington County, 1 in force.