Milwaukee County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Milwaukee, West Allis and Wauwatosa
Milwaukee County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 11 data centers in Milwaukee County, 30% of Wisconsin's total. Milwaukee County is home to Milwaukee, West Allis, Wauwatosa and Oak Creek. 1,186 MW of new generation is planned here across 6 units, led by Wisconsin Electric Power Co (natural gas), the 2nd largest pipeline among Wisconsin's counties. 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. 601 MW has retired here since 2019, including South Oak Creek (coal, 598 MW, 2024). Owners plan to retire 642 MW more by 2035, led by South Oak Creek in 2027.
Cities and towns in Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County is home to Milwaukee, West Allis, Wauwatosa and Oak Creek.
- Bayside also extends into Ozaukee County.
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 Milwaukee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 938,606 | 924,216 | ▼ 1.5% | 1st of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 486,530 | 467,199 | ▼ 4.0% | 55th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,220 | $72,113 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,196 | 1,584 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 343 | 404 | ▲ 17.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,063 | 3,499 | ▲ 14.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 601 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,186 MW | 50% of today's fleet | 2nd of 17 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 1,584, up 32.4% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $86,189 a year. Its power plants have 2,370 MW of capacity, 86% of it coal, the largest fleet in Wisconsin. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 467,199 jobs in 2025, down 4.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Milwaukee County. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. 924,216 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020, 1st of 72 Wisconsin counties by population.
Who powers Milwaukee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −596 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Milwaukee 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% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,044 MW | 86% |
| Natural gas | 294 MW | 12% |
| Other technologies | 24 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 0% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm Road Generating Station | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Coal | 1,403 MW | 2010 |
| South Oak Creek | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Coal | 642 MW | 1965 |
| Valley (WI) | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Natural gas | 275 MW | 1968 |
| MMSD Jones Island Wastewater | Milwaukee Metro Sewerage Dist | Natural gas | 31 MW | 1971 |
| Metro Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 9 MW | 1985 |
| MMSD South Shore Wastewater | Milwaukee Metro Sewerage Dist | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2000 |
Planned generation 6
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Oak Creek | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 236 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wisconsin Electric Power Co |
| South Oak Creek | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 236 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wisconsin Electric Power Co |
| South Oak Creek | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 236 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wisconsin Electric Power Co |
| South Oak Creek | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 236 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wisconsin Electric Power Co |
| South Oak Creek | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 236 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wisconsin Electric Power Co |
| City of Milwaukee- Airport Expansion | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | WEC: City of Milwaukee - Airport Expansion |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Oak Creek | Coal | 598 MW | 2024 |
| FCPC Renewable Generation | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2021 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Oak Creek | Coal | 642 MW | 2027 |
The Milwaukee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 467,199 | $72,113 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,584 | $86,189 | 0.47 |
| Power and communication line construction | 404 | $120,304 | 0.54 |
| Data processing and hosting | 3,499 | $124,990 | 2.41 |
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 Milwaukee County
11 data centers in Milwaukee County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Milwaukee County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Milwaukee County, Ozaukee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee County | 924,216 | ▼ 4.0% | 2,370 MW | 1,186 MW | 11 | — |
| Ozaukee County | 94,346 | ▼ 5.0% | 1,237 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Racine County | 198,919 | ▲ 0.6% | 340 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Washington County | 139,238 | ▲ 1.7% | 408 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Waukesha County | 417,210 | ▲ 1.1% | 4 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Milwaukee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin?
1 utility has service territory in Milwaukee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Milwaukee, WI in?
Milwaukee is in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. About 562,407 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is West Allis, WI in?
West Allis is in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. About 60,119 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Wauwatosa, WI in?
Wauwatosa is in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. About 48,649 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Milwaukee County?
9 operating plants with 2,370 MW of capacity. The largest is Elm Road Generating Station (1,403 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Milwaukee County?
1,186 MW across 6 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Wisconsin Electric Power Co.
Are there data centers in Milwaukee County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 11 data centers in Milwaukee County.
Is Milwaukee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 467,199 jobs in 2025 against 486,530 in 2019 (-4.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Milwaukee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Milwaukee County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.