Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Granite Falls and Canby
No data center or power plant project is on record in Yellow Medicine County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Yellow Medicine County is home to most of Granite Falls (1,766 of its 2,691 residents), Canby and Clarkfield. Construction employs 159, down 23.6% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.9% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Next door, Lyon County has 420 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 3,610 jobs in 2025, down 10.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Yellow Medicine County
Yellow Medicine County is home to most of Granite Falls (1,766 of its 2,691 residents), Canby and Clarkfield.
And 6 smaller places.
- Granite Falls also extends into Chippewa 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 Yellow Medicine County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Minnesota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,498 | 9,477 | ▼ 0.2% | 71st of 87 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,053 | 3,610 | ▼ 10.9% | 83rd of 87 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,397 | $50,293 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 208 | 159 | ▼ 23.6% | 71st of 72 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.9% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 14 MW of capacity, 57% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 10, at an average $47,700 a year. Northern States Power Co - Minnesota is the largest utility serving Yellow Medicine 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. 9,477 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Yellow Medicine County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Yellow Medicine 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% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 50,118 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
| Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,931 | 12.22¢ | 8% |
| City of Granite Falls - (MN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| H-D Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lyon Electric Cooperative, Inc. | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 8 MW | 57% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 43% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Falls 2 | City of Granite Falls - (MN) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2003 |
| Montevideo Solar LLC, CSG | Montevideo Solar LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
| Novel Brock Solar LLC CSG | Novel Brock Solar HQ LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2025 |
| Novel Handeland Solar LLC (CSG) | REA Investments, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
| USS Wolf Solar LLC | United States Solar Corporation | Solar | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Yellow Medicine County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,610 | $50,293 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 159 | $75,443 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 10 | $47,700 | 0.38 |
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 Yellow Medicine County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Yellow Medicine County. Minnesota has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Yellow Medicine County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Yellow Medicine County, Lyon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Medicine County | 9,477 | ▼ 10.9% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 12,406 | ▼ 10.6% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Deuel County SD | 4,408 | ▲ 14.4% | 803 MW | 145 MW | — | — |
| Lac qui Parle County | 6,704 | ▼ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 5,583 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,052 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyon County | 25,684 | ▼ 4.2% | 121 MW | 420 MW | — | — |
| Redwood County | 15,265 | ▼ 0.7% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Renville County | 14,356 | ▼ 2.7% | 38 MW | — | — | — |
More of Minnesota
Yellow Medicine County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota?
7 utilities have service territory in Yellow Medicine County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, Otter Tail Power Co, Minnesota Valley Coop L&P Assn, City of Granite Falls - (MN). The largest, Northern States Power Co - Minnesota, charged residential customers 16.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Yellow Medicine County?
5 operating plants with 14 MW of capacity. The largest is Granite Falls 2 (6 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Yellow Medicine County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Yellow Medicine County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lyon County.
Is Yellow Medicine County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,610 jobs in 2025 against 4,053 in 2019 (-10.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 208 to 159.
Does Yellow Medicine County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Yellow Medicine County. Minnesota has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.