Renville County, North Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
No data center or power plant project is on record in Renville County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Renville County is home to Mohall. Employers here counted 676 jobs in 2025, down 7.5% from 2019. Montana-Dakota Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Renville County, one of 5 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 2.0% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. 2,331 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Renville County
Renville County is home to Mohall.
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 Renville County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,266 | 2,331 | ▲ 2.9% | 39th of 53 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 731 | 676 | ▼ 7.5% | 43rd of 53 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,581 | $53,195 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.0% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
Who powers Renville County
Utilities with service territory in Renville 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% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 45,467 | 11.38¢ | 77% |
| Verendrye Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,336 | 10.70¢ | 24% |
| North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (ND) | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,061 | 10.90¢ | 36% |
| Burke-Divide Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,789 | 7.88¢ | 7% |
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 Renville County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Renville County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 676 | $53,195 | 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 Renville County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Renville County. North Dakota has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Renville County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Renville County, Burke 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renville County | 2,331 | ▼ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Bottineau County | 6,284 | ▲ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Burke County | 2,132 | ▼ 7.6% | 199 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| McHenry County | 5,130 | ▲ 2.3% | 112 MW | — | — | — |
| Ward County | 68,233 | ▼ 1.8% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Dakota
Renville County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Renville County, North Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Renville County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Otter Tail Power Co, Verendrye Electric Coop Inc, North Central Elec Coop, Inc - (ND). The largest, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.72¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Renville County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Renville County.
Is Renville County adding jobs?
Employers counted 676 jobs in 2025 against 731 in 2019 (-7.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Renville County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Renville County. North Dakota has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.