Butte County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Belle Fourche
Butte 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. Construction employs 239, up 73.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 41, up 70.8% since 2019 against up 38.0% statewide, at an average $68,252 a year. Butte County is home to Belle Fourche and Newell. 105 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 1.7% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Butte County
Butte County is home to Belle Fourche and Newell.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Vale.
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 Butte County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,292 | 10,856 | ▲ 5.5% | 17th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,831 | 2,921 | ▲ 3.2% | 34th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,218 | $47,766 | ▲ 39.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 138 | 239 | ▲ 73.2% | 2nd of 31 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24 | 41 | ▲ 70.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 1.7% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 105 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 105 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Employers here counted 2,921 jobs in 2025, up 3.2% from 2019. Black Hills Power, Inc. is the largest utility serving Butte County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.48¢ median for South Dakota utilities. 10,856 people live here, up 5.5% since 2020.
Who powers Butte County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +105 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Butte County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 60,951 | 14.37¢ | 51% |
| Butte Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grand Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 105 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow Creek Wind Power LLC | Willow Creek Wind Power LLC | Wind | 105 MW | 2020 |
The Butte County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,921 | $47,766 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 239 | $55,222 | 1.54 |
| Electrical contractors | 41 | $68,252 | 1.95 |
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 Butte County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Butte County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Butte County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Butte County, Lawrence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County | 10,856 | ▲ 3.2% | 105 MW | — | — | — |
| Carter County MT | 1,383 | ▲ 28.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Crook County WY | 7,852 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Harding County | 1,331 | ▼ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 29,459 | ▲ 14.2% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Meade County | 30,711 | ▲ 22.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Perkins County | 2,853 | ▼ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Butte County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Butte County, South Dakota?
4 utilities have service territory in Butte County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Black Hills Power, Inc., Butte Electric Coop, Inc, Grand Electric Coop, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Black Hills Power, Inc., charged residential customers 14.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Butte County?
1 operating plant with 105 MW of capacity. The largest is Willow Creek Wind Power LLC (105 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Butte County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Butte County.
Is Butte County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,921 jobs in 2025 against 2,831 in 2019 (+3.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 138 to 239.
Does Butte County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Butte County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.