Hand County, South Dakota: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Miller
No data center or power plant project is on record in Hand County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Hand County is home to Miller. 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 1,430 jobs in 2025, up 4.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 226 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. NorthWestern Energy - (SD) is the largest utility serving Hand County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.56¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Hand County
Hand County is home to Miller.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Millerdale Colony.
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 Hand County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,144 | 3,121 | ▼ 0.7% | 46th of 66 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,366 | 1,430 | ▲ 4.7% | 25th of 66 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,097 | $46,903 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. 3,121 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Hand County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hand 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% |
| Northern Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,757 | 11.29¢ | 18% |
| Dakota Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,224 | 15.30¢ | 18% |
| City of Miller - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 225 MW | 100% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetland Wind Farm, LLC | Sweetland Wind Farm, LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2023 |
| Rolling Thunder Wind Farm Hybrid | Clearlight Energy Holdings LP | Wind | 26 MW | 2009 |
The Hand County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,430 | $46,903 | 1.00 |
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 Hand County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hand County. South Dakota has 4 local measures on record statewide.
Hand County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Hand County, Buffalo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand County | 3,121 | ▲ 4.7% | 226 MW | — | — | — |
| Beadle County | 19,624 | ▼ 1.5% | 69 MW | — | — | — |
| Buffalo County | 1,802 | ▲ 8.2% | 538 MW | — | — | — |
| Faulk County | 2,178 | ▲ 11.3% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Hyde County | 1,191 | ▼ 2.7% | 491 MW | — | — | — |
| Jerauld County | 1,654 | ▲ 5.1% | 213 MW | — | — | — |
| Spink County | 6,155 | ▲ 0.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Dakota
Hand County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hand County, South Dakota?
5 utilities have service territory in Hand County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NorthWestern Energy - (SD), Northern Electric Coop, Inc, Dakota Energy Coop Inc, City of Miller - (SD). The largest, NorthWestern Energy - (SD), charged residential customers 12.56¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hand County?
2 operating plants with 226 MW of capacity. The largest is Sweetland Wind Farm, LLC (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Hand County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hand County.
Is Hand County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,430 jobs in 2025 against 1,366 in 2019 (+4.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hand County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hand County. South Dakota has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.