Ozaukee County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mequon, Grafton and Cedarburg
Ozaukee County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Ozaukee County, 5% of Wisconsin's total. Ozaukee County is home to Mequon, Grafton, Cedarburg and Port Washington. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Lighthouse Campus (Port Washington), Oracle/Vantage/OpenAI (1,000 MW). Its power plants have 1,237 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas, the 5th largest fleet in Wisconsin. Construction employs 1,388, up 4.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Ozaukee County
Ozaukee County is home to Mequon, Grafton, Cedarburg and Port Washington.
- Bayside also extends into Milwaukee County.
- Newburg also extends into Washington County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Waubeka.
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 Ozaukee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 91,631 | 94,346 | ▲ 3.0% | 18th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 42,738 | 40,611 | ▼ 5.0% | 60th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,518 | $62,242 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,334 | 1,388 | ▲ 4.0% | 48th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 40,611 jobs in 2025, down 5.0% from 2019. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Ozaukee County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 94,346 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Ozaukee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ozaukee 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% |
| Cedarburg Light & Water Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 6,063 | 12.70¢ | 46% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,230 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 8 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Washington Generating Station | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Natural gas | 1,230 MW | 2005 |
| Jackson Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 8 MW | 2023 |
The Ozaukee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,611 | $62,242 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,388 | $71,141 | 0.65 |
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 Ozaukee County
2 data centers in Ozaukee County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lighthouse Campus (Port Washington), Oracle/Vantage/OpenAI | active litigation | 1,000 MW |
Ozaukee County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Ozaukee County, Milwaukee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozaukee County | 94,346 | ▼ 5.0% | 1,237 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Milwaukee County | 924,216 | ▼ 4.0% | 2,370 MW | 1,186 MW | 11 | — |
| Sheboygan County | 118,047 | ▼ 0.7% | 914 MW | 99 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 139,238 | ▲ 1.7% | 408 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Waukesha County | 417,210 | ▲ 1.1% | 4 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Ozaukee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin?
2 utilities have service territory in Ozaukee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Cedarburg Light & Water Comm. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Mequon, WI in?
Mequon is in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. About 25,120 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Grafton, WI in?
Grafton is in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. About 13,389 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cedarburg, WI in?
Cedarburg is in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. About 12,916 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ozaukee County?
2 operating plants with 1,237 MW of capacity. The largest is Port Washington Generating Station (1,230 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Ozaukee County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Ozaukee County.
Is Ozaukee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,611 jobs in 2025 against 42,738 in 2019 (-5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,334 to 1,388.
Does Ozaukee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ozaukee County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.