Buffalo County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mondovi and Buffalo City
Buffalo 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. Buffalo County is home to Mondovi, Buffalo City, Fountain City and Buffalo. 3 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by OneEnergy, Inc. (solar). 3 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Winona County, Minnesota, has 1 data center. Employers here counted 3,456 jobs in 2025, down 10.1% from 2019. Construction employs 124, down 3.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Buffalo County
Buffalo County is home to Mondovi, Buffalo City, Fountain City and Buffalo.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Gilmanton, Waumandee.
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 Buffalo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,333 | 13,318 | ▼ 0.1% | 67th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,844 | 3,456 | ▼ 10.1% | 69th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,812 | $48,289 | ▲ 21.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 128 | 124 | ▼ 3.1% | 55th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25 | 26 | ▲ 4.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 14th of 17 by size |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 390 MW of capacity, 99% of it coal. Electrical contractors employ 26, up 4.0% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $55,741 a year. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Buffalo County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 13,318 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Buffalo County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Buffalo 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% |
| Riverland Energy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,970 | 16.30¢ | 13% |
| Eau Claire Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pierce-Pepin Coop Services | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 387 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John P Madgett | Dairyland Power Coop | Coal | 387 MW | 1979 |
| Stromland Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mondovi | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | OneEnergy, Inc. |
The Buffalo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,456 | $48,289 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 124 | $53,219 | 0.68 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $55,741 | 1.04 |
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 Buffalo County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Buffalo County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Eau Claire County.
Buffalo County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Buffalo County, Winona 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | 13,318 | ▼ 10.1% | 390 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Eau Claire County | 109,033 | ▲ 0.1% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pepin County | 7,513 | ▲ 6.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Trempealeau County | 31,171 | ▼ 10.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Wabasha County MN | 21,537 | ▼ 4.1% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Winona County MN | 50,523 | ▼ 2.3% | 32 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Buffalo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Buffalo County, Wisconsin?
4 utilities have service territory in Buffalo County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Riverland Energy Cooperative, Eau Claire Electric Coop, Pierce-Pepin Coop Services. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Buffalo County?
2 operating plants with 390 MW of capacity. The largest is John P Madgett (387 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Buffalo County?
3 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is OneEnergy, Inc..
Are there data centers in Buffalo County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Buffalo County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Winona County.
Is Buffalo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,456 jobs in 2025 against 3,844 in 2019 (-10.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 128 to 124.
Does Buffalo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Buffalo County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.