Brown County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Green Bay and De Pere, and the communities of Greenleaf
Brown County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Brown County, 8% of Wisconsin's total. Brown County is home to Green Bay, De Pere, Howard and Ashwaubenon, plus the unincorporated community of Greenleaf. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (0 in force); the latest is “County data center moratorium (declined)”. Electrical contractors employ 1,262, up 34.0% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $94,661 a year. Construction employs 8,299, up 18.5% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Brown County
Brown County is home to Green Bay, De Pere, Howard and Ashwaubenon, plus the unincorporated community of Greenleaf.
- Pulaski also extends into Shawano County.
- Wrightstown also extends into Outagamie County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Greenleaf, Dyckesville.
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 Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 268,952 | 275,803 | ▲ 2.5% | 4th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 158,546 | 160,329 | ▲ 1.1% | 23rd of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,483 | $66,296 | ▲ 28.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,005 | 8,299 | ▲ 18.5% | 29th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 942 | 1,262 | ▲ 34.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 425 | 414 | ▼ 2.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 43 MW | — |
43 MW has retired here since 2019, including Consumer Operations LLC (natural gas, 43 MW, 2021). Its power plants have 352 MW of capacity, 94% of it natural gas. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Brown County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Employers here counted 160,329 jobs in 2025, up 1.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 275,803 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020, 4th of 72 Wisconsin counties by population.
Who powers Brown County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −43 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brown County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,048,148 | 19.23¢ | 38% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 331 MW | 94% |
| Wind | 20 MW | 6% |
| Other technologies | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Pere Energy Center | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Natural gas | 192 MW | 1999 |
| Pulliam | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Natural gas | 91 MW | 2003 |
| Consumer Operations LLC | Georgia-Pacific Consumer Oper. Green Bay LLC | Natural gas | 48 MW | 1963 |
| Shirley Wind | Deriva Energy | Wind | 20 MW | 2010 |
| Dairyland WTE Plant | Energy Systems Group LLC | Other technologies | 1 MW | 2012 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consumer Operations LLC | Natural gas | 43 MW | 2021 |
The Brown County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 160,329 | $66,296 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,299 | $81,851 | 0.98 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,262 | $94,661 | 1.09 |
| Electric utilities | 414 | $121,388 | 0.95 |
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 Brown County
3 data centers in Brown County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County data center moratorium (declined) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-06 | |
| Brown County (committee declines countywide data center moratorium), WI data center moratorium (failed) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-06 |
Brown County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Brown County, Manitowoc 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 | 275,803 | ▲ 1.1% | 352 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Calumet County | 53,982 | ▲ 11.5% | — | — | 2 | 1 |
| Kewaunee County | 20,758 | ▲ 1.9% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Manitowoc County | 81,710 | ▼ 1.4% | 1,708 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Oconto County | 40,195 | ▲ 2.0% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Outagamie County | 195,894 | ▼ 0.4% | 838 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Shawano County | 41,560 | ▼ 3.1% | 8 MW | — | — | 2 |
More of Wisconsin
Brown County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brown County, Wisconsin?
2 utilities have service territory in Brown County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Green Bay, WI in?
Green Bay is in Brown County, Wisconsin. About 106,675 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is De Pere, WI in?
De Pere is in Brown County, Wisconsin. About 25,590 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Howard, WI in?
Howard is in Brown County, Wisconsin. About 22,233 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Brown County?
5 operating plants with 352 MW of capacity. The largest is De Pere Energy Center (192 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Brown County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Brown County.
Is Brown County adding jobs?
Employers counted 160,329 jobs in 2025 against 158,546 in 2019 (+1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,005 to 8,299.
Does Brown County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Brown County, 0 in force.