Outagamie County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Appleton, Grand Chute and Kaukauna
Outagamie County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Outagamie County is home to most of Appleton (63,246 of its 75,452 residents), Grand Chute, Kaukauna and Greenville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium (10,000 sq ft+)”. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Outagamie County Co-Generation Facility (other technologies, 6 MW, 2020). Its power plants have 838 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas, the 9th largest fleet in Wisconsin. Electrical contractors employ 1,321, up 1.9% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $82,768 a year.
Cities and towns in Outagamie County
Outagamie County is home to most of Appleton (63,246 of its 75,452 residents), Grand Chute, Kaukauna and Greenville.
And 6 smaller places.
- Appleton also extends into Calumet County, Winnebago County.
- New London also extends into Waupaca County.
- Wrightstown also extends into Brown County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dale.
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 Outagamie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 190,959 | 195,894 | ▲ 2.6% | 6th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 108,934 | 108,523 | ▼ 0.4% | 36th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,567 | $64,568 | ▲ 30.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,297 | 1,321 | ▲ 1.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 222 | 481 | ▲ 116.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — |
Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Outagamie County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Employers here counted 108,523 jobs in 2025, down 0.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 195,894 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020, 6th of 72 Wisconsin counties by population.
Who powers Outagamie County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Outagamie 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 Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| City of Kaukauna | Municipal | Bundled | 14,543 | 12.53¢ | 22% |
| New London Electric&Water Util | Municipal | Bundled | 3,501 | 12.29¢ | 19% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 808 MW | 97% |
| Hydro | 29 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Energy Center | Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Natural gas | 619 MW | 2005 |
| Combined Locks Energy Center | McKinley Paper | Natural gas | 66 MW | 2002 |
| Island Street Peaking Plant | WPPI Energy | Natural gas | 60 MW | 2004 |
| Kaukauna Paper Mill | Thilmany LLC | Natural gas | 45 MW | 1951 |
| Kaukauna Gas Turbine | City of Kaukauna (WI) | Natural gas | 18 MW | 1969 |
| New Badger | City of Kaukauna (WI) | Hydro | 8 MW | 2014 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outagamie County Co-Generation Facility | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2020 |
The Outagamie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 108,523 | $64,568 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,321 | $82,768 | 1.69 |
| Power and communication line construction | 481 | $136,382 | 2.74 |
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 Outagamie County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium (10,000 sq ft+) | In force | 2026-07 |
Outagamie County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Outagamie County, Brown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outagamie County | 195,894 | ▼ 0.4% | 838 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Brown County | 275,803 | ▲ 1.1% | 352 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Calumet County | 53,982 | ▲ 11.5% | — | — | 2 | 1 |
| Shawano County | 41,560 | ▼ 3.1% | 8 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Waupaca County | 51,461 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Winnebago County | 174,218 | ▲ 0.4% | 378 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
Outagamie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Outagamie County, Wisconsin?
4 utilities have service territory in Outagamie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, City of Kaukauna, New London Electric&Water Util. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Appleton, WI in?
Most of Appleton is in Outagamie County: 63,246 of its 75,452 residents, or 84%. The rest of the city lies in Calumet County, Winnebago County.
What county is Grand Chute, WI in?
Grand Chute is in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. About 24,579 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kaukauna, WI in?
Kaukauna is in Outagamie County, Wisconsin. About 18,517 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Outagamie County?
12 operating plants with 838 MW of capacity. The largest is Fox Energy Center (619 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Outagamie County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Outagamie County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Brown County.
Is Outagamie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 108,523 jobs in 2025 against 108,934 in 2019 (-0.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Outagamie County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Outagamie County, 1 in force.