Deuel County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clear Lake
Deuel County hosts some of the generating capacity South Dakota runs on. Deuel County is home to Clear Lake. 145 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny (natural gas), the largest pipeline among South Dakota's counties. Unemployment was 1.7% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,530 jobs in 2025, up 14.4% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 66 South Dakota counties). 803 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Deuel County
Deuel County is home to Clear Lake.
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 Deuel County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,296 | 4,408 | ▲ 2.6% | 38th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,337 | 1,530 | ▲ 14.4% | 6th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,612 | $54,879 | ▲ 28.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 153 | 145 | ▼ 5.2% | 31st of 31 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 1.7% | ▼ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 803 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 145 MW | 18% of today's fleet | 1st of 5 by size |
Construction employs 145, down 5.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 803 MW of capacity, 57% of it wind, the 2nd largest fleet in South Dakota. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Deuel County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024. 4,408 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Deuel County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +803 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Deuel 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% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,213 | 12.94¢ | 6% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 9,048 | 10.93¢ | 78% |
| Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| H-D Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Whetstone Valley Elec 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 454 MW | 57% |
| Natural gas | 349 MW | 43% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astoria Station | Otter Tail Power Co | Natural gas | 349 MW | 2021 |
| Deuel Harvest Wind Energy LLC | Southern Power Co | Wind | 300 MW | 2021 |
| Tatanka Ridge | Tatanka Ridge LLC | Wind | 154 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto Power Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 36 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny |
| Toronto Power Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 36 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny |
| Toronto Power Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 36 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny |
| Toronto Power Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 36 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny |
The Deuel County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,530 | $54,879 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 145 | $63,800 | 1.79 |
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 Deuel County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Deuel County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Deuel County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Deuel County, Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deuel County | 4,408 | ▲ 14.4% | 803 MW | 145 MW | — | — |
| Brookings County | 37,635 | ▲ 5.2% | 682 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Codington County | 29,562 | ▲ 6.3% | 468 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,534 | ▼ 2.5% | 915 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamlin County | 6,900 | ▲ 29.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Lac qui Parle County MN | 6,704 | ▼ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County MN | 5,583 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,052 MW | — | — | — |
| Yellow Medicine County MN | 9,477 | ▼ 10.9% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Deuel County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Deuel County, South Dakota?
7 utilities have service territory in Deuel County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop, Otter Tail Power Co, Codington-Clark Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Deuel County?
3 operating plants with 803 MW of capacity. The largest is Astoria Station (349 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Deuel County?
145 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Western Minnesota Mun Pwr Agny.
Are there data centers in Deuel County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Deuel County.
Is Deuel County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,530 jobs in 2025 against 1,337 in 2019 (+14.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 153 to 145.
Does Deuel County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Deuel County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.