Osage County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Skiatook, Tulsa and Hominy
Osage 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. Electrical contractors employ 43, up 186.7% since 2019 against up 8.3% statewide, at an average $50,932 a year. Osage County is home to most of Skiatook (6,269 of its 8,960 residents), part of Tulsa (5,832 of its 416,209 residents), Hominy and Pawhuska. Employers here counted 8,027 jobs in 2025, up 21.5% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 77 Oklahoma counties). Next door, Tulsa County has 17 data centers. Construction employs 392, up 6.8% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Osage County
Osage County is home to most of Skiatook (6,269 of its 8,960 residents), part of Tulsa (5,832 of its 416,209 residents), Hominy and Pawhuska.
- Skiatook also extends into Tulsa County.
- Tulsa also extends into Tulsa County.
- Sand Springs also extends into Tulsa County.
- Sperry also extends into Tulsa County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bowring, McCord, Nelagoney, Pershing, Whippoorwill.
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 Osage County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 45,799 | 46,794 | ▲ 2.2% | 21st of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,606 | 8,027 | ▲ 21.5% | 6th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,929 | $54,653 | ▲ 40.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 367 | 392 | ▲ 6.8% | 32nd of 48 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 43 | ▲ 186.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Tulsa LFG LLC (other technologies, 2 MW, 2021). 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 163 MW of capacity, 92% of it wind. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Osage County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities. 46,794 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Osage County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Osage County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 710,123 | 11.78¢ | 44% |
| Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Investor Owned | Bundled | 501,093 | 12.73¢ | 36% |
| Verdigris Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,102 | 11.93¢ | 6% |
| Indian Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,839 | 12.57¢ | 35% |
| City of Ponca City - (OK) | Municipal | Bundled | 13,790 | 11.93¢ | 35% |
| Kay Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,371 | 14.13¢ | 30% |
| City of Hominy - (OK) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Pawhuska - (OK) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 150 MW | 92% |
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 6% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osage Wind, LLC | Enel Green Power NA, Inc. | Wind | 150 MW | 2015 |
| Pawhuska | City of Pawhuska - (OK) | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1949 |
| Tulsa LFG LLC | Tulsa LFG LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2011 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa LFG LLC | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Osage County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,027 | $54,653 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 392 | $60,826 | 0.92 |
| Electrical contractors | 43 | $50,932 | 0.74 |
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 Osage County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Osage County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Osage County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Osage County, Tulsa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osage County | 46,794 | ▲ 21.5% | 163 MW | — | — | — |
| Chautauqua County KS | 3,321 | ▼ 1.2% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Cowley County KS | 34,382 | ▼ 3.3% | 41 MW | — | — | — |
| Kay County | 43,490 | ▼ 0.6% | 1,358 MW | — | — | — |
| Noble County | 10,899 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,656 MW | — | — | — |
| Pawnee County | 16,029 | ▼ 4.5% | — | 200 MW | — | — |
| Tulsa County | 698,782 | ▲ 2.7% | 2,461 MW | — | 17 | — |
| Washington County | 54,037 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Osage County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Osage County, Oklahoma?
9 utilities have service territory in Osage County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Verdigris Valley Elec Coop Inc, Indian Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Osage County?
3 operating plants with 163 MW of capacity. The largest is Osage Wind, LLC (150 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Osage County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Osage County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Tulsa County.
Is Osage County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,027 jobs in 2025 against 6,606 in 2019 (+21.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 367 to 392.
Does Osage County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Osage County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.