Griggs County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jessie and Sutton
Griggs 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. Griggs County is home to Cooperstown. Next door, Stutsman County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 757 jobs in 2025, down 7.1% from 2019. Otter Tail Power Co is the largest utility serving Griggs County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.38¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 1.9% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Griggs County
Griggs County is home to Cooperstown.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Jessie, Sutton.
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 Griggs County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,297 | 2,239 | ▼ 2.5% | 42nd of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 815 | 757 | ▼ 7.1% | 41st of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,181 | $48,144 | ▲ 26.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8 | 24 | ▲ 200.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 1.9% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
2,239 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Griggs County
Utilities with service territory in Griggs County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Griggs County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Griggs County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 757 | $48,144 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 24 | $31,014 | 0.60 |
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 Griggs County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Griggs County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Barnes County.
Griggs County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Griggs County, Stutsman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Griggs County | 2,239 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Barnes County | 10,573 | ▼ 1.1% | 259 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Eddy County | 2,329 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Foster County | 3,212 | ▼ 3.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Nelson County | 2,963 | ▲ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Steele County | 1,797 | ▼ 9.1% | 170 MW | — | — | — |
| Stutsman County | 21,414 | ▲ 2.2% | 354 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of North Dakota
Griggs County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Griggs County, North Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Griggs County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Otter Tail Power Co, Nodak Electric Coop Inc, Northern Plains Electric Coop, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Otter Tail Power Co, charged residential customers 11.38¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Griggs County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Griggs County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stutsman County.
Is Griggs County adding jobs?
Employers counted 757 jobs in 2025 against 815 in 2019 (-7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 8 to 24.
Does Griggs County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Griggs County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.