Emmons County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Linton
Emmons 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. Emmons County is home to Linton. 140 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Emmons-Logan Energy Storage, LLC (battery storage), the 4th largest pipeline among North Dakota's counties. 140 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Morton County has 628 MW of planned generation. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 200 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Emmons County
Emmons County is home to Linton.
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 Emmons County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,295 | 3,215 | ▼ 2.4% | 32nd of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 935 | 932 | ▼ 0.3% | 24th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,194 | $55,492 | ▲ 49.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 2.8% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 140 MW | 70% of today's fleet | 4th of 5 by size |
Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Emmons County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.72¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. Employers here counted 932 jobs in 2025, down 0.3% from 2019. 3,215 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Emmons County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Emmons 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% |
| Capital Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,530 | 12.31¢ | 38% |
| KEM Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 200 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmons-Logan Wind, LLC | Emmons-Logan Wind, LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmons-Logan Energy Storage | Batteries | 140 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Emmons-Logan Energy Storage, LLC |
The Emmons County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 932 | $55,492 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 14 | $136,230 | 5.55 |
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 Emmons County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Emmons County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Morton County.
Emmons County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Emmons County, Morton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmons County | 3,215 | ▼ 0.3% | 200 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Burleigh County | 103,251 | ▲ 3.8% | 201 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Campbell County SD | 1,377 | ▼ 5.3% | 94 MW | — | — | — |
| Corson County SD | 3,781 | ▼ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Kidder County | 2,393 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Logan County | 1,859 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| McIntosh County | 2,451 | ▼ 3.2% | 400 MW | — | — | — |
| Morton County | 34,601 | ▲ 6.3% | 994 MW | 628 MW | — | 1 |
| Sioux County | 3,667 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Emmons County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Emmons County, North Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Emmons County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Capital Electric Coop, Inc, KEM Electric Coop Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Emmons County?
1 operating plant with 200 MW of capacity. The largest is Emmons-Logan Wind, LLC (200 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Emmons County?
140 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 140 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Emmons-Logan Energy Storage, LLC.
Are there data centers in Emmons County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Emmons County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morton County.
Is Emmons County adding jobs?
Employers counted 932 jobs in 2025 against 935 in 2019 (-0.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Emmons County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Emmons County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.