Chippewa County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chippewa Falls, Lake Hallie and Lafayette
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Chippewa County. Chippewa County is home to Chippewa Falls, Lake Hallie, Lafayette and most of Stanley (3,782 of its 3,876 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. Construction employs 2,063, up 29.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 4 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by OneEnergy, Inc. (solar). 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. 247 MW has retired here since 2019, including Wheaton (natural gas, 194 MW, 2025).
Cities and towns in Chippewa County
Chippewa County is home to Chippewa Falls, Lake Hallie, Lafayette and most of Stanley (3,782 of its 3,876 residents).
And 7 smaller places.
- Eau Claire also extends into Eau Claire County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Holcombe, Jim Falls, Lake Wissota.
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 Chippewa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 66,334 | 67,614 | ▲ 1.9% | 24th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,619 | 27,224 | ▲ 10.6% | 5th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,024 | $55,235 | ▲ 31.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,594 | 2,063 | ▲ 29.4% | 15th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 142 | 130 | ▼ 8.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33 | 124 | ▲ 275.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 307 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 247 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 4 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 13th of 17 by size |
Employers here counted 27,224 jobs in 2025, up 10.6% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 72 Wisconsin counties). 307 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Owners plan to retire 115 MW more by 2035, led by Jim Falls in 2033. Its power plants have 572 MW of capacity, 65% of it natural gas. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Chippewa 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. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 130, down 8.5% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $71,741 a year. 67,614 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Chippewa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +60 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chippewa 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% |
| Barron Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,266 | 15.72¢ | 9% |
| Dunn County Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,482 | 15.45¢ | 24% |
| Bloomer Electric & Water Co | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Cadott - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Chippewa Valley Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clark Electric Coop - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Cornell | — | — | — | — | — |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 369 MW | 65% |
| Hydro | 190 MW | 33% |
| Solar | 12 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Natural gas | 298 MW | 2025 |
| Elk Mound | Dairyland Power Coop | Natural gas | 71 MW | 2001 |
| Jim Falls | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 60 MW | 1988 |
| Wissota | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 39 MW | 1917 |
| Cornell | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 35 MW | 1976 |
| Holcombe | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 34 MW | 1950 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilman | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | OneEnergy, Inc. |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheaton | Natural gas | 194 MW | 2025 |
| Wheaton | Petroleum | 53 MW | 2024 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Falls | Hydro | 60 MW | 2033 |
| Holcombe | Hydro | 34 MW | 2033 |
| Chippewa Falls | Hydro | 22 MW | 2033 |
The Chippewa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 27,224 | $55,235 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,063 | $85,740 | 1.43 |
| Electrical contractors | 130 | $71,741 | 0.66 |
| Power and communication line construction | 124 | $95,375 | 2.82 |
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 Chippewa County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-08 |
Chippewa County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Chippewa County, Dunn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa County | 67,614 | ▲ 10.6% | 572 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Barron County | 46,484 | ▼ 3.6% | 33 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Clark County | 35,052 | ▲ 2.9% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Dunn County | 46,223 | ▲ 3.2% | 15 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Eau Claire County | 109,033 | ▲ 0.1% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Rusk County | 14,146 | ▼ 11.4% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 20,118 | ▼ 4.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Chippewa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chippewa County, Wisconsin?
10 utilities have service territory in Chippewa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Barron Electric Coop, Dunn County Electric Coop, Bloomer Electric & Water Co. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Chippewa Falls, WI in?
Chippewa Falls is in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. About 15,293 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Chippewa County?
12 operating plants with 572 MW of capacity. The largest is Wheaton (298 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Chippewa County?
4 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is OneEnergy, Inc..
Are there data centers in Chippewa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chippewa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dunn County.
Is Chippewa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 27,224 jobs in 2025 against 24,619 in 2019 (+10.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,594 to 2,063.
Does Chippewa County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Chippewa County, 1 in force.