Brown County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Aberdeen, Groton and Lincoln Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Brown County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Brown County is home to Aberdeen, Groton, Lincoln Township and Aberdeen Township. 32 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by NorthWestern Energy - (SD) (natural gas), the 4th largest pipeline among South Dakota's counties. 32 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Dickey County, North Dakota, has 10 data centers. Construction employs 1,009, up 5.8% since 2019. Its power plants have 327 MW of capacity, 91% of it natural gas, the 9th largest fleet in South Dakota.
Cities and towns in Brown County
Brown County is home to Aberdeen, Groton, Lincoln Township and Aberdeen Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bath, Bath Corner, Ferney, Hutterville Colony, Mansfield, Prairiewood Village.
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 Brown County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 38,230 | 37,561 | ▼ 1.7% | 5th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,397 | 19,589 | ▼ 4.0% | 57th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,219 | $56,565 | ▲ 27.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 954 | 1,009 | ▲ 5.8% | 23rd of 31 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9 | 14 | ▲ 55.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.5% | 2.0% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 32 MW | 10% of today's fleet | 4th of 5 by size |
Employers here counted 19,589 jobs in 2025, down 4.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.0% in August 2026, against 2.5% in 2019. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Brown County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 37,561 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020, 5th of 66 South Dakota counties by population.
Who powers Brown County
Utilities with service territory in Brown County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NorthWestern Energy - (SD) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 51,467 | 12.56¢ | 40% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 6,367 | 14.59¢ | 48% |
| Northern Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,757 | 11.29¢ | 18% |
| City of Groton - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Hecla | — | — | — | — | — |
| Lake Region Electric Assn, Inc - (SD) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 99% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 299 MW | 91% |
| Petroleum | 29 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groton Generation Station | Basin Electric Power Coop | Natural gas | 216 MW | 2006 |
| Aberdeen CT | NorthWestern Energy - (SD) | Natural gas | 111 MW | 1978 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen CT | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 16 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | NorthWestern Energy - (SD) |
| Aberdeen CT | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 16 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | NorthWestern Energy - (SD) |
The Brown County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,589 | $56,565 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,009 | $68,919 | 0.97 |
| Data processing and hosting | 14 | $59,527 | 0.23 |
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 Brown County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brown County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Brown County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Brown County, Dickey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 37,561 | ▼ 4.0% | 327 MW | 32 MW | — | — |
| Day County | 5,484 | ▲ 4.6% | 99 MW | — | — | — |
| Dickey County ND | 4,895 | ▲ 38.7% | 330 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Edmunds County | 4,022 | ▲ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Faulk County | 2,178 | ▲ 11.3% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 4,426 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| McPherson County | 2,347 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Sargent County ND | 3,711 | ▼ 27.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Spink County | 6,155 | ▲ 0.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Brown County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brown County, South Dakota?
7 utilities have service territory in Brown County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Montana-Dakota Utilities Co, Northern Electric Coop, Inc, City of Groton - (SD). The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Aberdeen, SD in?
Aberdeen is in Brown County, South Dakota. About 27,961 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Brown County?
2 operating plants with 327 MW of capacity. The largest is Groton Generation Station (216 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Brown County?
32 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 32 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is NorthWestern Energy - (SD).
Are there data centers in Brown County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brown County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dickey County.
Is Brown County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,589 jobs in 2025 against 20,397 in 2019 (-4.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 954 to 1,009.
Does Brown County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brown County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.