Woodward County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Woodward and Mooreland
Woodward County hosts some of the generating capacity Oklahoma runs on. Construction employs 712, up 36.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Woodward County is home to Woodward and Mooreland. Next door, Dewey County has 251 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,047 MW of capacity, 67% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Woodward County
Woodward County is home to Woodward and Mooreland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Quinlan.
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 Woodward County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,401 | 19,827 | ▼ 2.8% | 41st of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,624 | 7,975 | ▼ 7.5% | 60th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,196 | $56,824 | ▲ 15.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 522 | 712 | ▲ 36.4% | 14th of 48 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 81 | 76 | ▼ 6.2% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 91 | 94 | ▲ 3.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 3.6% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 188 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
188 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 7,975 jobs in 2025, down 7.5% from 2019. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Woodward County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities. Electrical contractors employ 76, down 6.2% since 2019 against up 8.3% statewide, at an average $58,025 a year. 19,827 people live here, down 2.8% since 2020.
Who powers Woodward County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +188 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Woodward 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% |
| Northwestern Electric Coop Inc - (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,620 | 15.28¢ | 32% |
| Town of Fort Supply - (OK) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Mooreland - (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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 702 MW | 67% |
| Natural gas | 305 MW | 29% |
| Battery storage | 40 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mooreland | Western Farmers Elec Coop, Inc | Natural gas | 305 MW | 1964 |
| Persimmon Creek Wind Farm 1, LLC | Evergy Kansas Central, Inc | Wind | 199 MW | 2018 |
| Keenan II Renewable Energy Co LLC | CPV Keenan II Renewable Energy Co LLC | Wind | 152 MW | 2010 |
| Boiling Springs Wind Farm | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 148 MW | 2020 |
| Oklahoma Wind Energy Center | FPL Energy Oklahoma Wind LLC | Wind | 102 MW | 2003 |
| OU Spirit Wind Farm | Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Wind | 101 MW | 2009 |
The Woodward County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,975 | $56,824 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 712 | $74,879 | 1.69 |
| Electrical contractors | 76 | $58,025 | 1.32 |
| Power and communication line construction | 224 | $96,906 | 17.39 |
| Electric utilities | 94 | $107,581 | 4.35 |
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 Woodward County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Woodward County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Woodward County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Woodward County, Dewey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodward County | 19,827 | ▼ 7.5% | 1,047 MW | — | — | — |
| Dewey County | 4,207 | ▲ 19.0% | 881 MW | 251 MW | — | — |
| Ellis County | 3,613 | ▼ 3.8% | 475 MW | — | — | — |
| Harper County | 3,172 | ▲ 1.9% | 237 MW | — | — | — |
| Major County | 7,536 | ▼ 17.5% | 288 MW | — | — | — |
| Woods County | 8,443 | ▼ 5.3% | 203 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Woodward County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Woodward County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Woodward County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Northwestern Electric Coop Inc - (OK), Town of Fort Supply - (OK), City of Mooreland - (OK). The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Woodward, OK in?
Woodward is in Woodward County, Oklahoma. About 11,635 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Woodward County?
7 operating plants with 1,047 MW of capacity. The largest is Mooreland (305 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Woodward County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Woodward County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dewey County.
Is Woodward County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,975 jobs in 2025 against 8,624 in 2019 (-7.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 522 to 712.
Does Woodward County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Woodward County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.