Barron County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rice Lake, Barron and Stanley
No data center or power plant project is on record in Barron County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Barron County is home to Rice Lake, Barron, Stanley and Cumberland. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by OneEnergy, Inc. (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Dunn County has 1 data center. 8 MW has retired here since 2019, including Barron (petroleum, 8 MW, 2024). Construction employs 750, up 4.6% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Barron County
Barron County is home to Rice Lake, Barron, Stanley and Cumberland.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Barronett.
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 Barron County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 46,719 | 46,484 | ▼ 0.5% | 31st of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,018 | 21,222 | ▼ 3.6% | 53rd of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,409 | $49,920 | ▲ 26.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 717 | 750 | ▲ 4.6% | 46th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 15% of today's fleet | 12th of 17 by size |
12 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 21,222 jobs in 2025, down 3.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 33 MW of capacity, 36% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Barron County, one of 10 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. 46,484 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Barron County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Barron County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| Polk-Burnett Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,379 | 15.90¢ | 22% |
| Barron Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,266 | 15.72¢ | 9% |
| Dunn County Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,482 | 15.45¢ | 24% |
| North Central Power Co Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,991 | 15.73¢ | 21% |
| City of Barron - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chippewa Valley Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Cumberland - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 12 MW | 36% |
| Solar | 12 MW | 36% |
| Petroleum | 9 MW | 27% |
| Hydro | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland (WI) | City of Cumberland - (WI) | Petroleum | 21 MW | 1939 |
| Rice Lake Solar Array | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2021 |
| Barron Solar Array | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| Rice Lake II | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2024 |
| Cumberland Solar | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Barron | City of Barron - (WI) | Hydro | 0 MW | 1923 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bjorn | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | OneEnergy, Inc. |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barron | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2024 |
The Barron County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,222 | $49,920 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 750 | $64,373 | 0.67 |
| Power and communication line construction | 101 | $78,407 | 2.95 |
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 Barron County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Barron County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Chippewa County, Polk County, Sawyer County, St. Croix County.
Barron County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Barron County, Chippewa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barron County | 46,484 | ▼ 3.6% | 33 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Burnett County | 17,223 | ▲ 12.8% | 11 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 67,614 | ▲ 10.6% | 572 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Dunn County | 46,223 | ▲ 3.2% | 15 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Polk County | 45,803 | ▼ 1.0% | 146 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Rusk County | 14,146 | ▼ 11.4% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
| Sawyer County | 18,846 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| St. Croix County | 98,276 | ▲ 9.5% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | 1 |
| Washburn County | 17,087 | ▼ 5.8% | 3 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Barron County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Barron County, Wisconsin?
10 utilities have service territory in Barron County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Polk-Burnett Electric Coop, Barron Electric Coop, Dunn County Electric Coop. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Barron County?
6 operating plants with 33 MW of capacity. The largest is Cumberland (WI) (21 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Barron County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is OneEnergy, Inc..
Are there data centers in Barron County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Barron County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dunn County.
Is Barron County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,222 jobs in 2025 against 22,018 in 2019 (-3.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 717 to 750.
Does Barron County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Barron County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.