Mercer County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Beulah and Hazen
Mercer County hosts some of the generating capacity North Dakota runs on. Mercer County is home to Beulah and Hazen. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium (lifted)”. Its power plants have 2,643 MW of capacity, 78% of it coal, the largest fleet in North Dakota. Next door, Morton County has 628 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 326, down 7.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Mercer County
Mercer County is home to Beulah and Hazen.
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 Mercer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,349 | 8,441 | ▲ 1.1% | 17th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,196 | 4,341 | ▲ 3.5% | 13th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $71,440 | $82,863 | ▲ 16.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 352 | 326 | ▼ 7.4% | 18th of 20 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 2.4% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 4,341 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Mercer County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.72¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. 8,441 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Mercer County
Utilities with service territory in Mercer 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% |
| Roughrider Electric Cooperativ | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,183 | 10.24¢ | 43% |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,382 | 7.86¢ | 31% |
| Basin Electric Power Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | — | — | 0% |
| Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 97% |
| City of Stanton - (ND) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,060 MW | 78% |
| Hydro | 583 MW | 22% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope Valley | Basin Electric Power Coop | Coal | 954 MW | 1984 |
| Leland Olds | Basin Electric Power Coop | Coal | 656 MW | 1966 |
| Garrison | USACE-Omaha | Hydro | 583 MW | 1956 |
| Coyote | Otter Tail Power Co | Coal | 450 MW | 1981 |
The Mercer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,341 | $82,863 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 326 | $94,363 | 1.42 |
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 Mercer County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium (lifted) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-03 |
Mercer County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Mercer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | 8,441 | ▲ 3.5% | 2,643 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dunn County | 4,058 | ▼ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
| McLean County | 9,740 | ▲ 2.6% | 1,216 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Morton County | 34,601 | ▲ 6.3% | 994 MW | 628 MW | — | 1 |
| Oliver County | 1,898 | ▼ 3.4% | 1,031 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Stark County | 34,013 | ▼ 2.3% | 300 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Mercer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mercer County, North Dakota?
7 utilities have service territory in Mercer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Roughrider Electric Cooperativ, McKenzie Electric Coop Inc, Basin Electric Power Coop. The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mercer County?
4 operating plants with 2,643 MW of capacity. The largest is Antelope Valley (954 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Mercer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mercer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morton County.
Is Mercer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,341 jobs in 2025 against 4,196 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 352 to 326.
Does Mercer County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Mercer County, 0 in force.