Grant County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Platteville, Lancaster and Boscobel
Grant County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Grant County is home to Platteville, Lancaster, Boscobel and Fennimore. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through June 18, 2027”. Construction employs 900, up 26.4% since 2019. 67 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Invenergy Services LLC (wind). Electrical contractors employ 149, up 34.2% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $71,709 a year.
Cities and towns in Grant County
Grant County is home to Platteville, Lancaster, Boscobel and Fennimore.
And 16 smaller places.
- Cuba City also extends into Lafayette County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Glen Haven, Kieler, Sandy Hook.
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 Grant County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 51,989 | 52,446 | ▲ 0.9% | 28th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,905 | 17,152 | ▼ 4.2% | 56th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,329 | $49,231 | ▲ 28.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 712 | 900 | ▲ 26.4% | 19th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 111 | 149 | ▲ 34.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 445 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 67 MW | 15% of today's fleet | 11th of 17 by size |
445 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 453 MW of capacity, 56% of it solar. Employers here counted 17,152 jobs in 2025, down 4.2% from 2019. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Grant 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 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 52,446 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Grant County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +445 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Grant 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% |
| Scenic Rivers Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,597 | 15.23¢ | 1% |
| City of Boscobel - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 1,448 | 10.65¢ | 62% |
| City of Cuba City | Municipal | Bundled | 985 | 11.41¢ | 56% |
| Village of Muscoda - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 938 | 10.92¢ | 16% |
| City of Fennimore - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Hazel Green - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 254 MW | 56% |
| Battery storage | 100 MW | 22% |
| Wind | 92 MW | 20% |
| Petroleum | 7 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Battery storage | 300 MW | 2024 |
| Red Barn Energy | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Wind | 92 MW | 2023 |
| Cassville Solar | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Solar | 50 MW | 2023 |
| Fennimore | City of Fennimore - (WI) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1952 |
| Fennimore Solar | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 3 MW | 2019 |
| Mt. Hope DPC Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitetail Wind Farm | Onshore Wind Turbine | 67 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Invenergy Services LLC |
The Grant County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,152 | $49,231 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 900 | $62,257 | 0.99 |
| Electrical contractors | 149 | $71,709 | 1.20 |
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 Grant County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through June 18, 2027 | In force | 2026-01 |
Grant County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Grant County, Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | 52,446 | ▼ 4.2% | 453 MW | 67 MW | — | 1 |
| Clayton County IA | 16,845 | ▼ 8.5% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Crawford County | 15,910 | ▼ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Dubuque County IA | 99,381 | ▼ 2.0% | 27 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Iowa County | 23,951 | ▲ 3.4% | 330 MW | — | — | — |
| Jo Daviess County IL | 21,594 | ▲ 5.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Lafayette County | 17,478 | ▲ 13.8% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 17,036 | ▲ 0.2% | 56 MW | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Grant County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grant County, Wisconsin?
8 utilities have service territory in Grant County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Scenic Rivers Energy Coop, City of Boscobel - (WI). The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Platteville, WI in?
Platteville is in Grant County, Wisconsin. About 11,815 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Grant County?
6 operating plants with 453 MW of capacity. The largest is Grant County (300 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Grant County?
67 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Invenergy Services LLC.
Are there data centers in Grant County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grant County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dubuque County.
Is Grant County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,152 jobs in 2025 against 17,905 in 2019 (-4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 712 to 900.
Does Grant County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Grant County, 1 in force.