Morton County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mandan and New Salem
New generation is lining up in Morton County. Morton County is home to Mandan, New Salem, Hebron and Glen Ullin. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Morton County data center moratorium”. 628 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by New Salem Wind II (wind), the 2nd largest pipeline among North Dakota's counties. 120 MW has retired here since 2019, including R M Heskett (coal, 115 MW, 2022). Construction employs 924, up 0.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Morton County
Morton County is home to Mandan, New Salem, Hebron and Glen Ullin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Harmon.
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 Morton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,324 | 34,601 | ▲ 3.8% | 6th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,589 | 12,316 | ▲ 6.3% | 6th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,829 | $60,350 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 923 | 924 | ▲ 0.1% | 16th of 20 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 197 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 120 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 628 MW | 63% of today's fleet | 2nd of 5 by size |
Its power plants have 994 MW of capacity, 81% of it wind, the 5th largest fleet in North Dakota. 197 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 12,316 jobs in 2025, up 6.3% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 53 North Dakota counties). Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Morton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.72¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.38¢ median for North Dakota utilities. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. 34,601 people live here, up 3.8% since 2020, 6th of 53 North Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Morton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +77 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Morton 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% |
| Mor-Gran-Sou 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 807 MW | 81% |
| Natural gas | 178 MW | 18% |
| Other technologies | 9 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bison 4 Wind Energy Center | ALLETE, Inc. | Wind | 205 MW | 2015 |
| R M Heskett | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Natural gas | 178 MW | 2014 |
| Glen Ullin Energy Center | ALLETE Clean Energy | Wind | 107 MW | 2019 |
| Bison 2 Wind Energy Center | ALLETE, Inc. | Wind | 105 MW | 2012 |
| Bison 3 Wind Energy Center | ALLETE, Inc. | Wind | 105 MW | 2012 |
| Sunflower Wind Project | Onward Energy | Wind | 104 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Salem Wind II | Onshore Wind Turbine | 226 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | New Salem Wind II |
| Red Butte Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 202 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Red Butte Wind |
| New Salem Wind I | Onshore Wind Turbine | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | New Salem Wind I |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| R M Heskett | Coal | 115 MW | 2022 |
| Glen Ullin Station 6 | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2026 |
The Morton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,316 | $60,350 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 924 | $74,848 | 1.42 |
| Electric utilities | 61 | $122,685 | 1.83 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $87,280 | 0.21 |
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 Morton County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morton County data center moratorium | In force | 2024-09 |
Morton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Morton County, Mercer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morton County | 34,601 | ▲ 6.3% | 994 MW | 628 MW | — | 1 |
| Burleigh County | 103,251 | ▲ 3.8% | 201 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Emmons County | 3,215 | ▼ 0.3% | 200 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Grant County | 2,206 | ▲ 13.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Mercer County | 8,441 | ▲ 3.5% | 2,643 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Oliver County | 1,898 | ▼ 3.4% | 1,031 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sioux County | 3,667 | ▼ 1.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Stark County | 34,013 | ▼ 2.3% | 300 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Morton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Morton County, North Dakota?
3 utilities have service territory in Morton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Mor-Gran-Sou 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 county is Mandan, ND in?
Mandan is in Morton County, North Dakota. About 25,061 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Morton County?
9 operating plants with 994 MW of capacity. The largest is Bison 4 Wind Energy Center (205 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Morton County?
628 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is New Salem Wind II.
Are there data centers in Morton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Morton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Burleigh County.
Is Morton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,316 jobs in 2025 against 11,589 in 2019 (+6.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 923 to 924.
Does Morton County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Morton County, 1 in force.