Dunn County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Menomonie, Tainter and Red Cedar
Dunn County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Dunn County. Dunn County is home to Menomonie, Tainter, Red Cedar and Spring Brook. Owners plan to retire 5 MW more by 2035, led by Menomonie in 2035. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 18,155 jobs in 2025, up 3.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Dunn County
Dunn County is home to Menomonie, Tainter, Red Cedar and Spring Brook.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Downsville, Rock Falls, Tainter Lake.
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 Dunn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 45,462 | 46,223 | ▲ 1.7% | 32nd of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,585 | 18,155 | ▲ 3.2% | 16th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,589 | $55,096 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 15 MW of capacity, 74% of it hydro. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Dunn County, one of 7 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 3.3% in 2019. 46,223 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Dunn County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dunn 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% |
| Polk-Burnett Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,379 | 15.90¢ | 22% |
| Barron Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,266 | 15.72¢ | 9% |
| Dunn County Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,482 | 15.45¢ | 24% |
| Chippewa Valley Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eau Claire Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| St Croix Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 11 MW | 74% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 26% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Falls (WI) | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 6 MW | 1910 |
| Menomonie | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 5 MW | 1958 |
| Hay River (Dunn 1) | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
| Walleye (Dunn 2) | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
| Downsville DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menomonie | Hydro | 5 MW | 2035 |
The Dunn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,155 | $55,096 | 1.00 |
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 Dunn County
1 data center in Dunn County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Dunn County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Dunn County, Chippewa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunn County | 46,223 | ▲ 3.2% | 15 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Barron County | 46,484 | ▼ 3.6% | 33 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 67,614 | ▲ 10.6% | 572 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Eau Claire County | 109,033 | ▲ 0.1% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pepin County | 7,513 | ▲ 6.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 43,519 | ▲ 0.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 45,803 | ▼ 1.0% | 146 MW | — | — | 1 |
| St. Croix County | 98,276 | ▲ 9.5% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
Dunn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dunn County, Wisconsin?
7 utilities have service territory in Dunn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Polk-Burnett Electric Coop, Barron Electric Coop, Dunn County Electric Coop. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Menomonie, WI in?
Menomonie is in Dunn County, Wisconsin. About 16,664 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dunn County?
5 operating plants with 15 MW of capacity. The largest is Cedar Falls (WI) (6 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Dunn County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Dunn County.
Is Dunn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,155 jobs in 2025 against 17,585 in 2019 (+3.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Dunn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dunn County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.