Oliver County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Oliver County. Oliver County is home to Center. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Oliver County data center moratorium (failed)”. Its power plants have 1,031 MW of capacity, 71% of it coal, the 4th largest fleet in North Dakota. 199 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 701 jobs in 2025, down 3.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Oliver County
Oliver County is home to Center.
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 Oliver County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,866 | 1,898 | ▲ 1.7% | 47th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 726 | 701 | ▼ 3.4% | 35th of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $78,239 | $96,920 | ▲ 23.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 199 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Oliver 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. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 1,898 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Oliver County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +199 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Oliver 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% |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 734 MW | 71% |
| Wind | 297 MW | 29% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milton R Young | Minnkota Power Coop, Inc | Coal | 734 MW | 1970 |
| Oliver Wind IV | Oliver Wind IV, LLC | Wind | 199 MW | 2024 |
| FPL Energy Oliver Wind I LLC | FPL Energy Oliver County Wind | Wind | 51 MW | 2006 |
| FPL Energy Oliver Wind II LLC | FPL Energy Oliver County Wind II LLC | Wind | 48 MW | 2007 |
The Oliver County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 701 | $96,920 | 1.00 |
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 Oliver County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver County data center moratorium (failed) | Failed / vetoed | 2024-12 |
Oliver County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Oliver 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oliver County | 1,898 | ▼ 3.4% | 1,031 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Burleigh County | 103,251 | ▲ 3.8% | 201 MW | — | 1 | — |
| McLean County | 9,740 | ▲ 2.6% | 1,216 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Mercer County | 8,441 | ▲ 3.5% | 2,643 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Morton County | 34,601 | ▲ 6.3% | 994 MW | 628 MW | — | 1 |
More of North Dakota
Oliver County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Oliver County, North Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Oliver County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Roughrider Electric Cooperativ, 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 power plants are in Oliver County?
4 operating plants with 1,031 MW of capacity. The largest is Milton R Young (734 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Oliver County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Oliver County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morton County.
Is Oliver County adding jobs?
Employers counted 701 jobs in 2025 against 726 in 2019 (-3.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Oliver County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Oliver County, 0 in force.