Boone County, Missouri: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Columbia, Ashland and Centralia
Boone County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Boone County. Boone County is home to Columbia, Ashland, Centralia and Hallsville. 9 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Curators of the University of Missouri (natural gas). 9 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 282, up 23.1% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $56,704 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Boone County
Boone County is home to Columbia, Ashland, Centralia and Hallsville.
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 Boone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 184,060 | 191,746 | ▲ 4.2% | 8th of 115 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 94,526 | 100,066 | ▲ 5.9% | 37th of 115 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,853 | $62,197 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 229 | 282 | ▲ 23.1% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59 | 47 | ▼ 20.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.6% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 29 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 9 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 14th of 14 by size |
29 MW has retired here since 2019, including Columbia (MO) (coal, 22 MW, 2019). 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 100,066 jobs in 2025, up 5.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 321 MW of capacity, 91% of it natural gas. Union Electric Co - (MO) is the largest utility serving Boone County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 191,746 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020, 8th of 115 Missouri counties by population.
Who powers Boone County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −19 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Boone County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Electric Co - (MO) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,095,619 | 12.56¢ | 44% |
| City of Columbia - (MO) | Municipal | Bundled | 45,651 | 13.94¢ | 39% |
| Boone Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 33,806 | 13.40¢ | 17% |
| Callaway Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,647 | 16.29¢ | 22% |
| Consolidated Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,649 | 12.96¢ | 13% |
| City of Centralia - (MO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Howard Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 292 MW | 91% |
| Petroleum | 16 MW | 5% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Energy Center | City of Columbia - (MO) | Natural gas | 163 MW | 2001 |
| MU Combined Heat and Power Plant | Curators of the University of Missouri | Natural gas | 85 MW | 1974 |
| Columbia (MO) | City of Columbia - (MO) | Petroleum | 61 MW | 1963 |
| Truman Solar | Agilitas Energy, Inc. | Solar | 10 MW | 2021 |
| MBS Textbook Exchange | MBS TextBook Exchange LLC | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2008 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MU Combined Heat and Power Plant | Natural Gas Steam Turbine | 9 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Curators of the University of Missouri |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia (MO) | Coal | 22 MW | 2019 |
| MU Combined Heat and Power Plant | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2023 |
| MU Combined Heat and Power Plant | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2023 |
The Boone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 100,066 | $62,197 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 282 | $56,704 | 0.39 |
| Power and communication line construction | 47 | $72,600 | 0.29 |
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 Boone County
2 data centers in Boone County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Boone County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Boone County, Callaway 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | 191,746 | ▲ 5.9% | 321 MW | 9 MW | 2 | — |
| Audrain County | 24,528 | ▼ 10.7% | 1,218 MW | — | — | — |
| Callaway County | 45,765 | ▲ 1.1% | 1,269 MW | 266 MW | — | — |
| Cole County | 77,908 | ▲ 2.2% | 132 MW | — | — | — |
| Cooper County | 17,136 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 10,180 | ▼ 0.5% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Moniteau County | 15,428 | ▼ 4.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 24,513 | ▼ 2.6% | 1,242 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Missouri
Boone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Boone County, Missouri?
7 utilities have service territory in Boone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Union Electric Co - (MO), City of Columbia - (MO), Boone Electric Coop, Callaway Electric Cooperative. The largest, Union Electric Co - (MO), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Columbia, MO in?
Columbia is in Boone County, Missouri. About 130,851 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Boone County?
5 operating plants with 321 MW of capacity. The largest is Columbia Energy Center (163 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Boone County?
9 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 9 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Curators of the University of Missouri.
Are there data centers in Boone County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Boone County.
Is Boone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 100,066 jobs in 2025 against 94,526 in 2019 (+5.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Boone County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Boone County. Missouri has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.