Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fond du Lac, Ripon and North Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Fond du Lac County. Fond du Lac County is home to Fond du Lac, Ripon, North Fond du Lac and Taycheedah. Construction employs 3,153, up 7.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Byron (wind, 1 MW, 2019). 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Fond du Lac County
Fond du Lac County is home to Fond du Lac, Ripon, North Fond du Lac and Taycheedah.
And 3 smaller places.
- Waupun also extends into Dodge County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alto, St. Peter, Taycheedah, Van Dyne.
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 Fond du Lac County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 104,159 | 104,669 | ▲ 0.5% | 16th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 47,665 | 44,880 | ▼ 5.8% | 62nd of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,888 | $61,132 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,930 | 3,153 | ▲ 7.6% | 44th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Its power plants have 608 MW of capacity, 63% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 44,880 jobs in 2025, down 5.8% from 2019. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Fond du Lac County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 104,669 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Fond du Lac County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fond du Lac 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% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| City of Plymouth - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,358 | 11.80¢ | 37% |
| Waupun Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 3,950 | 11.84¢ | 36% |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 382 MW | 63% |
| Wind | 213 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 14 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Fond Du Lac | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 382 MW | 1993 |
| Blue Sky Green Field Wind Project | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Wind | 145 MW | 2008 |
| Cedar Ridge | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Wind | 68 MW | 2008 |
| Auburn Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Ledgeview | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Nortera Customer Hosted Solar | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Byron | Wind | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Fond du Lac County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 44,880 | $61,132 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,153 | $88,850 | 1.33 |
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 Fond du Lac County
1 data center in Fond du Lac County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Fond du Lac County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Fond du Lac County, Sheboygan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fond du Lac County | 104,669 | ▼ 5.8% | 608 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Calumet County | 53,982 | ▲ 11.5% | — | — | 2 | 1 |
| Dodge County | 89,097 | ▲ 3.7% | 337 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Green Lake County | 19,305 | ▼ 0.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Sheboygan County | 118,047 | ▼ 0.7% | 914 MW | 99 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 139,238 | ▲ 1.7% | 408 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Winnebago County | 174,218 | ▲ 0.4% | 378 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
Fond du Lac County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin?
5 utilities have service territory in Fond du Lac County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, City of Plymouth - (WI). The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fond du Lac, WI in?
Fond du Lac is in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. About 44,541 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Fond du Lac County?
8 operating plants with 608 MW of capacity. The largest is South Fond Du Lac (382 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Fond du Lac County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Fond du Lac County.
Is Fond du Lac County adding jobs?
Employers counted 44,880 jobs in 2025 against 47,665 in 2019 (-5.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,930 to 3,153.
Does Fond du Lac County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fond du Lac County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.