Adams County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hettinger
Adams 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. Adams County is home to Hettinger. Employers here counted 849 jobs in 2025, down 11.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 156 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Adams County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.72¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. 2,275 people live here, up 3.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Adams County
Adams County is home to Hettinger.
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 Adams County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,194 | 2,275 | ▲ 3.7% | 41st of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 959 | 849 | ▼ 11.5% | 49th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,872 | $52,232 | ▲ 24.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29 | 34 | ▲ 17.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.9% | 1.9% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 1.9% in 2019.
Who powers Adams County
Utilities with service territory in Adams County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 79,354 | 11.72¢ | 67% |
| Slope Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,204 | 13.81¢ | 10% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 156 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder Spirit Wind, LLC | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Wind | 156 MW | 2015 |
The Adams County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 849 | $52,232 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 34 | $96,135 | 0.76 |
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 Adams County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Adams County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Adams County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Adams County, Bowman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 2,275 | ▼ 11.5% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Bowman County | 2,762 | ▼ 5.5% | 220 MW | — | — | — |
| Corson County SD | 3,781 | ▼ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 2,206 | ▲ 13.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Harding County SD | 1,331 | ▼ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Hettinger County | 2,492 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Perkins County SD | 2,853 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 3,667 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Slope County | 628 | ▼ 27.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Adams County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Adams County, North Dakota?
2 utilities have service territory in Adams County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Slope Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Adams County?
1 operating plant with 156 MW of capacity. The largest is Thunder Spirit Wind, LLC (156 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Adams County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Adams County.
Is Adams County adding jobs?
Employers counted 849 jobs in 2025 against 959 in 2019 (-11.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 29 to 34.
Does Adams County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Adams County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.