Iowa County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dodgeville, Mineral Point and Barneveld
No data center or power plant project is on record in Iowa County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Iowa County is home to Dodgeville, Mineral Point, Barneveld and Brigham. Next door, Dane County has 9 data centers and 361 MW of planned generation. 300 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 457, down 5.0% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 52, up 13.0% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $68,503 a year.
Cities and towns in Iowa County
Iowa County is home to Dodgeville, Mineral Point, Barneveld and Brigham.
- Blanchardville also extends into Lafayette County.
- Montfort also extends into Grant County.
- Muscoda also extends into Grant County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Edmund.
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 Iowa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,716 | 23,951 | ▲ 1.0% | 48th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,371 | 10,719 | ▲ 3.4% | 14th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,291 | $57,100 | ▲ 26.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 481 | 457 | ▼ 5.0% | 56th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46 | 52 | ▲ 13.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 300 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 330 MW of capacity, 91% of it solar. Employers here counted 10,719 jobs in 2025, up 3.4% from 2019. Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Iowa County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 23,951 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Iowa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +300 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Iowa County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 437,211 | 16.89¢ | 22% |
| Scenic Rivers Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,597 | 15.23¢ | 1% |
| Village of Muscoda - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 938 | 10.92¢ | 16% |
| Village of Black Earth - (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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 300 MW | 91% |
| Wind | 30 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Badger Hollow I | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Solar | 150 MW | 2021 |
| Badger Hollow II | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 150 MW | 2023 |
| Montfort Wind Energy Center | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Wind | 30 MW | 2002 |
The Iowa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,719 | $57,100 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 457 | $66,612 | 0.80 |
| Electrical contractors | 52 | $68,503 | 0.67 |
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 Iowa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Iowa County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Dane County, Grant County, Green County, Sauk County.
Iowa County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Iowa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa County | 23,951 | ▲ 3.4% | 330 MW | — | — | — |
| Dane County | 590,375 | ▲ 4.9% | 1,172 MW | 361 MW | 9 | 2 |
| Grant County | 52,446 | ▼ 4.2% | 453 MW | 67 MW | — | 1 |
| Green County | 37,227 | ▼ 0.5% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Lafayette County | 17,478 | ▲ 13.8% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 17,036 | ▲ 0.2% | 56 MW | — | — | — |
| Sauk County | 66,652 | ▼ 1.8% | 33 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
Iowa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Iowa County, Wisconsin?
4 utilities have service territory in Iowa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Scenic Rivers Energy Coop, Village of Muscoda - (WI), Village of Black Earth - (WI). The largest, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 16.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Iowa County?
3 operating plants with 330 MW of capacity. The largest is Badger Hollow I (150 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Iowa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Iowa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dane County.
Is Iowa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,719 jobs in 2025 against 10,371 in 2019 (+3.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 481 to 457.
Does Iowa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Iowa County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.