Pierce County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to River Falls, Prescott and Ellsworth
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pierce County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pierce County is home to most of River Falls (12,914 of its 17,916 residents), Prescott, Ellsworth and Oak Grove. Construction employs 394, down 23.6% since 2019. Next door, Dakota County, Minnesota, has 16 data centers. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Pierce County
Pierce County is home to most of River Falls (12,914 of its 17,916 residents), Prescott, Ellsworth and Oak Grove.
- River Falls also extends into St. Croix County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Diamond Bluff, Hager City.
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 Pierce County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,221 | 43,519 | ▲ 3.1% | 35th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,329 | 10,368 | ▲ 0.4% | 30th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,112 | $49,163 | ▲ 29.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 516 | 394 | ▼ 23.6% | 61st of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Pierce County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Employers here counted 10,368 jobs in 2025, up 0.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 43,519 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020.
Who powers Pierce County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pierce County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 220,574 | 15.83¢ | 40% |
| Dunn County Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,482 | 15.45¢ | 24% |
| City of River Falls | Municipal | Bundled | 6,709 | 13.28¢ | 50% |
| Pierce-Pepin Coop Services | — | — | — | — | — |
| St Croix Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trimbelle (Pierce Pepin) | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Pierce County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,368 | $49,163 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 394 | $70,384 | 0.72 |
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 Pierce County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pierce County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: St. Croix County, Washington County.
Pierce County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pierce County, Dakota 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County | 43,519 | ▲ 0.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Dakota County MN | 457,710 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,065 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Dunn County | 46,223 | ▲ 3.2% | 15 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Goodhue County MN | 48,195 | ▲ 0.7% | 1,611 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Pepin County | 7,513 | ▲ 6.4% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Croix County | 98,276 | ▲ 9.5% | 10 MW | 101 MW | — | 1 |
| Washington County MN | 286,895 | ▲ 9.3% | 924 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
Pierce County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pierce County, Wisconsin?
5 utilities have service territory in Pierce County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Dunn County Electric Coop, City of River Falls, Pierce-Pepin Coop Services. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is River Falls, WI in?
Most of River Falls is in Pierce County: 12,914 of its 17,916 residents, or 72%. The rest of the city lies in St. Croix County.
What power plants are in Pierce County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Trimbelle (Pierce Pepin) (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Pierce County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pierce County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dakota County.
Is Pierce County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,368 jobs in 2025 against 10,329 in 2019 (+0.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 516 to 394.
Does Pierce County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pierce County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.