Douglas County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Superior, Parkland and Amnicon
Douglas 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. Douglas County is home to Superior, Parkland, Amnicon and Oakland. Next door, St. Louis County, Minnesota, has 7 data centers. Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Superior Water and Light Co is the largest utility serving Douglas County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.44¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Employers here counted 15,643 jobs in 2025, down 0.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Douglas County
Douglas County is home to Superior, Parkland, Amnicon and Oakland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brule, Gordon.
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 Douglas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 44,351 | 43,990 | ▼ 0.8% | 34th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,757 | 15,643 | ▼ 0.7% | 39th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,026 | $53,570 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 43,990 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Douglas County
Utilities with service territory in Douglas County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Water and Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 13,072 | 15.44¢ | 12% |
| Dahlberg Light & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 10,939 | 12.62¢ | 18% |
| East Central Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,182 | 16.65¢ | 12% |
| Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solon Diesel | Dahlberg Light & Power Co | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1988 |
| Gordon | Dahlberg Light & Power Co | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1949 |
The Douglas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,643 | $53,570 | 1.00 |
| Power and communication line construction | 21 | $115,104 | 0.83 |
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 Douglas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Douglas County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Carlton County, Pine County, Sawyer County.
Douglas County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Douglas County, St. Louis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 43,990 | ▼ 0.7% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Bayfield County | 16,787 | ▲ 2.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Burnett County | 17,223 | ▲ 12.8% | 11 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Carlton County MN | 36,711 | ▼ 0.5% | 182 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pine County MN | 30,472 | ▼ 5.0% | 28 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sawyer County | 18,846 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| St. Louis County MN | 200,518 | ▼ 3.4% | 269 MW | — | 7 | — |
| Washburn County | 17,087 | ▼ 5.8% | 3 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Douglas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Douglas County, Wisconsin?
4 utilities have service territory in Douglas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Superior Water and Light Co, Dahlberg Light & Power Co, East Central Energy, Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Superior Water and Light Co, charged residential customers 15.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Superior, WI in?
Superior is in Douglas County, Wisconsin. About 26,397 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Douglas County?
2 operating plants with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Solon Diesel (8 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Douglas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Douglas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Louis County.
Is Douglas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,643 jobs in 2025 against 15,757 in 2019 (-0.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Douglas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Douglas County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.