Barnes County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Valley City
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Barnes County. Barnes County is home to Valley City and Valley Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Six-month data center moratorium”. Construction employs 278, up 17.8% since 2019. Its power plants have 259 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Barnes County
Barnes County is home to Valley City and Valley Township.
And 8 smaller places.
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 Barnes County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,863 | 10,573 | ▼ 2.7% | 13th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,474 | 4,426 | ▼ 1.1% | 25th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,254 | $53,412 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 236 | 278 | ▲ 17.8% | 9th of 20 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Cass County Elec Coop Inc is the largest utility serving Barnes County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.45¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. Employers here counted 4,426 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019. 10,573 people live here, down 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Barnes County
Utilities with service territory in Barnes County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 51,968 | 12.45¢ | 35% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Nodak Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,803 | 12.08¢ | 42% |
| Northern Plains Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,393 | 10.65¢ | 17% |
| City of Valley City | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 97% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 259 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPL Energy Ashtabula Wind LLC | FPL Energy Ashtabula Wind LLC | Wind | 148 MW | 2008 |
| Ashtabula Wind III LLC | Otter Tail Power Co | Wind | 62 MW | 2010 |
| Ashtabula Wind Energy Center | Otter Tail Power Co | Wind | 48 MW | 2008 |
The Barnes County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,426 | $53,412 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 278 | $68,554 | 1.19 |
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 Barnes County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Barnes County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Barnes County, Cass 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes County | 10,573 | ▼ 1.1% | 259 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cass County | 201,794 | ▲ 7.1% | 4 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Griggs County | 2,239 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| LaMoure County | 4,135 | ▲ 4.9% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
| Ransom County | 5,617 | ▼ 2.5% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Steele County | 1,797 | ▼ 9.1% | 170 MW | — | — | — |
| Stutsman County | 21,414 | ▲ 2.2% | 354 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of North Dakota
Barnes County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Barnes County, North Dakota?
6 utilities have service territory in Barnes County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Cass County Elec Coop Inc, Otter Tail Power Co, Nodak Electric Coop Inc, Northern Plains Electric Coop. The largest, Cass County Elec Coop Inc, charged residential customers 12.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Barnes County?
3 operating plants with 259 MW of capacity. The largest is FPL Energy Ashtabula Wind LLC (148 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Barnes County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Barnes County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cass County.
Is Barnes County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,426 jobs in 2025 against 4,474 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 236 to 278.
Does Barnes County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Barnes County, 1 in force.