Dodge County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Beaver Dam, Watertown and Waupun
The data center boom is not abstract in Dodge County: it is on the ground here. Construction employs 3,065, up 55.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Dodge County. Electrical contractors employ 239, up 71.9% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $75,659 a year. Dodge County is home to Beaver Dam, part of Watertown (8,219 of its 22,704 residents), most of Waupun (7,593 of its 11,150 residents) and Mayville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through February 10, 2028”.
Cities and towns in Dodge County
Dodge County is home to Beaver Dam, part of Watertown (8,219 of its 22,704 residents), most of Waupun (7,593 of its 11,150 residents) and Mayville.
And 10 smaller places.
- Watertown also extends into Jefferson County.
- Waupun also extends into Fond du Lac County.
- Randolph also extends into Columbia County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ashippun, Burnett, Lebanon, Rubicon.
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 Dodge County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 89,343 | 89,097 | ▼ 0.3% | 19th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35,558 | 36,866 | ▲ 3.7% | 13th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,582 | $62,846 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,977 | 3,065 | ▲ 55.0% | 6th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 139 | 239 | ▲ 71.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 386 | 307 | ▼ 20.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.8% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 150 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
150 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 337 MW of capacity, 54% of it wind. Employers here counted 36,866 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Dodge County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 89,097 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Dodge County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +150 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dodge 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 Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 437,211 | 16.89¢ | 22% |
| Adams-Columbia Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,910 | 17.63¢ | 16% |
| Hartford Electric | Municipal | Bundled | 6,998 | 11.71¢ | 26% |
| Waupun Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 3,950 | 11.84¢ | 36% |
| City of Columbus - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 2,459 | 12.34¢ | 32% |
| Hustisford Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 1,315 | 13.82¢ | 39% |
| Juneau Utility Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 970 | 11.69¢ | 47% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 183 MW | 54% |
| Solar | 150 MW | 44% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 1% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Wind Energy Center | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Wind | 129 MW | 2008 |
| Springfield Solar (WI) | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Solar | 100 MW | 2023 |
| Butler Ridge | Butler Ridge Wind Energy Center | Wind | 54 MW | 2009 |
| Beaver Dam Solar | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Solar | 50 MW | 2023 |
| Waupun Correctional Central Heating Plt | State of Wisconsin | Natural gas | 4 MW | 1951 |
The Dodge County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 36,866 | $62,846 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,065 | $103,221 | 1.57 |
| Electrical contractors | 239 | $75,659 | 0.90 |
| Power and communication line construction | 307 | $108,520 | 5.16 |
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 Dodge County
1 data center in Dodge County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through February 10, 2028 | In force | 2026-08 |
Dodge County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Dodge County, Dane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dodge County | 89,097 | ▲ 3.7% | 337 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Columbia County | 58,132 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,300 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Dane County | 590,375 | ▲ 4.9% | 1,172 MW | 361 MW | 9 | 2 |
| Fond du Lac County | 104,669 | ▼ 5.8% | 608 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Green Lake County | 19,305 | ▼ 0.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 86,505 | ▲ 0.5% | 760 MW | 249 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 139,238 | ▲ 1.7% | 408 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Waukesha County | 417,210 | ▲ 1.1% | 4 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Dodge County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dodge County, Wisconsin?
8 utilities have service territory in Dodge County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Adams-Columbia Electric Coop, Hartford Electric. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Beaver Dam, WI in?
Beaver Dam is in Dodge County, Wisconsin. About 16,542 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dodge County?
5 operating plants with 337 MW of capacity. The largest is Forward Wind Energy Center (129 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Dodge County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Dodge County.
Is Dodge County adding jobs?
Employers counted 36,866 jobs in 2025 against 35,558 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,977 to 3,065.
Does Dodge County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Dodge County, 1 in force.