Juneau County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mauston, New Lisbon and Germantown
Juneau County is where a large share of Wisconsin's next power plants are planned. Juneau County is home to Mauston, New Lisbon, Germantown and Lemonweir. 230 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Emerald Bluffs Solar Park LLC (solar), the 8th largest pipeline among Wisconsin's counties. 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 307, up 11.2% since 2019. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 45 MW of capacity, 45% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Juneau County
Juneau County is home to Mauston, New Lisbon, Germantown and Lemonweir.
And 2 smaller places.
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 Juneau County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,779 | 26,649 | ▼ 0.5% | 46th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,409 | 9,194 | ▼ 2.3% | 47th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,484 | $53,282 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 276 | 307 | ▲ 11.2% | 40th of 61 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25 | 24 | ▼ 4.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 230 MW | 511% of today's fleet | 8th of 17 by size |
Employers here counted 9,194 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 24, down 4.0% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $62,183 a year. Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Juneau County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 26,649 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Juneau County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Juneau 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% |
| Oakdale Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,027 | 15.87¢ | 14% |
| City of Elroy - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of New Lisbon | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vernon Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wonewoc Electric & Water Util | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 20 MW | 45% |
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 33% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 22% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petenwell | Wisconsin River Power Company | Hydro | 20 MW | 1949 |
| New Lisbon | City of New Lisbon (WI) | Petroleum | 8 MW | 1966 |
| Elroy | City of Elroy - (WI) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 1973 |
| Lemonweir (Oak 1) | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 3 MW | 2023 |
| New Lisbon Solar | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Elroy Solar | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Bluffs Solar Park | Solar Photovoltaic | 225 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Emerald Bluffs Solar Park LLC |
| Castle Rock Lake Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | OneEnergy, Inc. |
The Juneau County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,194 | $53,282 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 307 | $55,456 | 0.63 |
| Electrical contractors | 24 | $62,183 | 0.36 |
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 Juneau County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Juneau County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Monroe County, Sauk County.
Juneau County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Juneau County, Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juneau County | 26,649 | ▼ 2.3% | 45 MW | 230 MW | — | — |
| Adams County | 21,752 | ▲ 0.4% | 23 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 58,132 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,300 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Jackson County | 20,999 | ▼ 13.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 46,572 | ▼ 0.1% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sauk County | 66,652 | ▼ 1.8% | 33 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Vernon County | 31,443 | ▼ 1.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Wood County | 74,060 | ▼ 8.6% | 407 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Juneau County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Juneau County, Wisconsin?
6 utilities have service territory in Juneau County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Oakdale Electric Coop, City of Elroy - (WI), City of New Lisbon. The largest, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 16.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Juneau County?
8 operating plants with 45 MW of capacity. The largest is Petenwell (20 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Juneau County?
230 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Emerald Bluffs Solar Park LLC.
Are there data centers in Juneau County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Juneau County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Columbia County.
Is Juneau County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,194 jobs in 2025 against 9,409 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 276 to 307.
Does Juneau County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Juneau County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.