Richland County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sidney
Richland County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Richland County is home to Sidney and Fairview. Next door, Williams County, North Dakota, has 1 data center and 1,518 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 370, down 7.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 54 MW has retired here since 2019, including Lewis & Clark (coal, 50 MW, 2021). Employers here counted 4,996 jobs in 2025, down 7.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Richland County
Richland County is home to Sidney and Fairview.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Crane, Fox Lake, Savage.
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 Richland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,527 | 11,377 | ▼ 1.3% | 20th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,370 | 4,996 | ▼ 7.0% | 49th of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,124 | $63,740 | ▲ 17.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 399 | 370 | ▼ 7.3% | 24th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 42 | 44 | ▲ 4.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 63 | 46 | ▼ 27.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.4% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 54 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 44, up 4.8% since 2019 against up 43.9% statewide, at an average $74,854 a year. Its power plants have 19 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Richland County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities. Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 11,377 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Richland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −54 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Richland County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 19,616 | 12.89¢ | 37% |
| Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,499 | 8.83¢ | 6% |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25 | 8.61¢ | 14% |
| McCone Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 79% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 19 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Natural gas | 19 MW | 2016 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis & Clark | Coal | 50 MW | 2021 |
| Sidney MT Plant | Coal | 4 MW | 2023 |
The Richland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,996 | $63,740 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 370 | $78,705 | 1.40 |
| Electrical contractors | 44 | $74,854 | 1.22 |
| Electric utilities | 46 | $130,522 | 3.40 |
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 Richland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Richland County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Richland County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Richland County, Williams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 11,377 | ▼ 7.0% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Dawson County | 8,692 | ▼ 7.6% | 84 MW | — | — | — |
| McCone County | 1,720 | ▲ 16.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| McKenzie County ND | 15,192 | ▼ 4.7% | 363 MW | — | — | — |
| Roosevelt County | 10,242 | ▼ 4.2% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Wibaux County | 885 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Williams County ND | 41,767 | ▼ 10.4% | 1,346 MW | 1,518 MW | 1 | — |
More of Montana
Richland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Richland County, Montana?
5 utilities have service territory in Richland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Lower Yellowstone R E A, Inc, McKenzie Electric Coop Inc, McCone Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 12.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Richland County?
1 operating plant with 19 MW of capacity. The largest is Lewis & Clark (19 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Richland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Richland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Williams County.
Is Richland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,996 jobs in 2025 against 5,370 in 2019 (-7.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 399 to 370.
Does Richland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Richland County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.