Wheatland County, Montana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Duncan Ranch Colony and Martinsdale Colony
Wheatland County is a generation frontier for Montana. Wheatland County is home to Harlowton. 710 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Haymaker Energy Project LLC (wind), the largest pipeline among Montana's counties. 80 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 567 jobs in 2025, down 8.0% from 2019. Its power plants have 165 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) is the largest utility serving Wheatland County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.95¢ median for Montana utilities.
Cities and towns in Wheatland County
Wheatland County is home to Harlowton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Duncan Ranch Colony, Martinsdale Colony, Shawmut, Springwater Colony, Twodot.
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 Wheatland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Montana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,075 | 2,100 | ▲ 1.2% | 45th of 56 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 616 | 567 | ▼ 8.0% | 53rd of 56 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,967 | $45,657 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 20 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 710 MW | 431% of today's fleet | 1st of 4 by size |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 2,100 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Wheatland County
Utilities with service territory in Wheatland County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 328,127 | 14.23¢ | 49% |
| Fergus Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,682 | 15.52¢ | 74% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 165 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judith Gap Wind Energy Center | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 135 MW | 2005 |
| Musselshell Wind Project | Musselshell Wind Project LLC | Wind | 10 MW | 2012 |
| Musselshell Wind Project Two LLC | Musselshell Wind Project Two LLC | Wind | 10 MW | 2012 |
| Two Dot Wind Farm | NorthWestern Energy (MT wind/thermal) | Wind | 10 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haymaker Hybrid | Onshore Wind Turbine | 630 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2031 | Haymaker Energy Project LLC |
| Jawbone Wind Project | Onshore Wind Turbine | 80 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2029 | Triple Oak Power LLC |
The Wheatland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 567 | $45,657 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 20 | $63,149 | 0.67 |
| Electric utilities | 19 | $109,101 | 12.38 |
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 Wheatland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wheatland County. Montana has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Wheatland County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Wheatland County, Judith Basin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland County | 2,100 | ▼ 8.0% | 165 MW | 710 MW | — | — |
| Fergus County | 11,825 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Golden Valley County | 844 | ▲ 22.6% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Judith Basin County | 2,162 | ▲ 2.6% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Meagher County | 2,137 | ▲ 11.0% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Sweet Grass County | 3,762 | ▼ 2.1% | 25 MW | — | — | — |
More of Montana
Wheatland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wheatland County, Montana?
2 utilities have service territory in Wheatland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), Fergus Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy LLC - (MT), charged residential customers 14.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Wheatland County?
4 operating plants with 165 MW of capacity. The largest is Judith Gap Wind Energy Center (135 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Wheatland County?
710 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 80 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Haymaker Energy Project LLC.
Are there data centers in Wheatland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wheatland County.
Is Wheatland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 567 jobs in 2025 against 616 in 2019 (-8.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 15 to 20.
Does Wheatland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wheatland County. Montana has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.