Wright County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Otsego, St. Michael and Buffalo
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Wright County. Wright County is home to Otsego, St. Michael, Buffalo and Monticello. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through May 19, 2027”. Owners plan to retire 685 MW more by 2035, led by Monticello Nuclear Facility in 2030. Construction employs 4,727, up 10.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Wright County
Wright County is home to Otsego, St. Michael, Buffalo and Monticello.
And 11 smaller places.
- Rockford also extends into Hennepin County.
- Hanover also extends into Hennepin County.
- Dayton also extends into Hennepin County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Silver Creek.
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 Wright County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 141,876 | 157,559 | ▲ 11.1% | 10th of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 45,005 | 49,245 | ▲ 9.4% | 6th of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,517 | $57,602 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,266 | 4,727 | ▲ 10.8% | 34th of 72 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 402 | 363 | ▼ 9.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 23 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Employers here counted 49,245 jobs in 2025, up 9.4% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 87 Minnesota counties). 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Delano (natural gas, 1 MW, 2020). Its power plants have 806 MW of capacity, 85% of it nuclear, the 10th largest fleet in Minnesota. 23 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 157,559 people live here, up 11.1% since 2020, 10th of 87 Minnesota counties by population. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Wright County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.36¢ median for Minnesota utilities. Electrical contractors employ 363, down 9.7% since 2019 against up 13.6% statewide, at an average $75,186 a year.
Who powers Wright County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +22 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wright 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% |
| Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,714 | 14.59¢ | 30% |
| City of Elk River | Municipal | Bundled | 11,776 | 15.83¢ | 9% |
| Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,572 | 14.09¢ | 15% |
| City of Buffalo - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Delano Municipal Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
| McLeod Cooperative Power 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 25
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 685 MW | 85% |
| Solar | 69 MW | 9% |
| Petroleum | 52 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello Nuclear Facility | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Nuclear | 685 MW | 1971 |
| Delano | Delano Municipal Utilities (MN) | Petroleum | 27 MW | 1946 |
| Maple Lake | Great River Energy | Petroleum | 25 MW | 1978 |
| Lake Pulaski Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 8 MW | 2016 |
| Tatanka Wi | HQC Tatanka Wi Solar Power Generation LLC | Solar | 7 MW | 2017 |
| Annandale Solar | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Solar | 6 MW | 2016 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delano | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2020 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello Nuclear Facility | Nuclear | 685 MW | 2030 |
The Wright County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 49,245 | $57,602 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,727 | $84,404 | 1.81 |
| Electrical contractors | 363 | $75,186 | 1.02 |
| Power and communication line construction | 448 | $96,893 | 5.63 |
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 Wright County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through May 19, 2027 | In force | 2026-05 | |
| Wright County Board, MN data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Wright County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wright 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright County | 157,559 | ▲ 9.4% | 806 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Carver County | 114,379 | ▲ 0.3% | 151 MW | — | 11 | — |
| Hennepin County | 1,284,784 | ▼ 1.9% | 696 MW | — | 48 | — |
| McLeod County | 36,631 | ▼ 1.0% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Meeker County | 23,603 | ▲ 4.5% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Sherburne County | 104,194 | ▲ 8.4% | 2,670 MW | 611 MW | 2 | — |
| Stearns County | 164,110 | ● 0.0% | 192 MW | 6 MW | 1 | — |
More of Minnesota
Wright County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wright County, Minnesota?
7 utilities have service territory in Wright County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn, City of Elk River, Meeker Coop Light & Power Assn. The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Otsego, MN in?
Otsego is in Wright County, Minnesota. About 24,525 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is St. Michael, MN in?
St. Michael is in Wright County, Minnesota. About 22,498 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Buffalo, MN in?
Buffalo is in Wright County, Minnesota. About 16,878 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wright County?
25 operating plants with 806 MW of capacity. The largest is Monticello Nuclear Facility (685 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Wright County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wright County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hennepin County.
Is Wright County adding jobs?
Employers counted 49,245 jobs in 2025 against 45,005 in 2019 (+9.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,266 to 4,727.
Does Wright County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Wright County, 2 in force.