Bowman County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bowman
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bowman County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Bowman County is home to Bowman. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 1,482 jobs in 2025, down 5.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 220 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 12, at an average $67,803 a year.
Cities and towns in Bowman County
Bowman County is home to Bowman.
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 Bowman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,973 | 2,762 | ▼ 7.1% | 35th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,569 | 1,482 | ▼ 5.5% | 39th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,477 | $61,718 | ▲ 27.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.7% | 1.7% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Bowman 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. 2,762 people live here, down 7.1% since 2020. Unemployment was 1.7% in August 2026, against 1.7% in 2019.
Who powers Bowman County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bowman 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 220 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowman Wind | Bowman Wind, LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Cedar Hills Wind Farm | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Wind | 20 MW | 2010 |
The Bowman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,482 | $61,718 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 12 | $67,803 | 1.12 |
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 Bowman County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bowman County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Bowman County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Bowman County, Adams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowman County | 2,762 | ▼ 5.5% | 220 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 2,275 | ▼ 11.5% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Fallon County MT | 2,959 | ▼ 12.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Harding County SD | 1,331 | ▼ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Slope County | 628 | ▼ 27.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Bowman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bowman County, North Dakota?
2 utilities have service territory in Bowman 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 Bowman County?
2 operating plants with 220 MW of capacity. The largest is Bowman Wind (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Bowman County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bowman County.
Is Bowman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,482 jobs in 2025 against 1,569 in 2019 (-5.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Bowman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bowman County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.