Portage County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Stevens Point, Plover and Hull
Portage County is where a large share of Wisconsin's next power plants are planned. Electrical contractors employ 203, up 163.6% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $73,481 a year. 1,432 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Vista Sands Solar LLC (solar), the largest pipeline among Wisconsin's counties. 250 MW of it is already under construction or built. Portage County is home to Stevens Point, Plover, Hull and Stockton. Its power plants have 25 MW of capacity, 69% of it hydro. Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Portage 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.
Cities and towns in Portage County
Portage County is home to Stevens Point, Plover, Hull and Stockton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bancroft, Polonia.
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 Portage County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 70,423 | 71,943 | ▲ 2.2% | 23rd of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33,856 | 33,442 | ▼ 1.2% | 42nd of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,489 | $58,840 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 77 | 203 | ▲ 163.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.1% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,432 MW | 5798% of today's fleet | 1st of 17 by size |
Employers here counted 33,442 jobs in 2025, down 1.2% from 2019. 71,943 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019.
Who powers Portage County
Utilities with service territory in Portage 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% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| Adams-Columbia Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,910 | 17.63¢ | 16% |
| Wisconsin Rapids W W & L Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 12,395 | 13.37¢ | 44% |
| Consolidated Water Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 70 | 11.54¢ | 0% |
| Central Wisconsin Elec 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 17 MW | 69% |
| Natural gas | 8 MW | 31% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stevens Point Mill | Pixelle Specialty Solution, LLC | Natural gas | 8 MW | 2002 |
| Du Bay | Consolidated Water Power Co | Hydro | 7 MW | 1942 |
| Whiting | Consolidated Water Power Co | Hydro | 5 MW | 1891 |
| Stevens Point | Consolidated Water Power Co | Hydro | 5 MW | 1918 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Sands Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 1,182 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Vista Sands Solar LLC |
| Portage Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 250 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Geronimo Power |
The Portage County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 33,442 | $58,840 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 203 | $73,481 | 0.84 |
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 Portage County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Portage County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Marathon County, Shawano County.
Portage County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Portage County, Waushara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage County | 71,943 | ▼ 1.2% | 25 MW | 1,432 MW | — | — |
| Adams County | 21,752 | ▲ 0.4% | 23 MW | — | — | — |
| Marathon County | 139,432 | ▼ 2.7% | 1,164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Shawano County | 41,560 | ▼ 3.1% | 8 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Waupaca County | 51,461 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Waushara County | 25,223 | ▼ 6.3% | 99 MW | 360 MW | — | — |
| Wood County | 74,060 | ▼ 8.6% | 407 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Portage County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Portage County, Wisconsin?
6 utilities have service territory in Portage County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Adams-Columbia Electric Coop, Wisconsin Rapids W W & L Comm. The largest, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 16.89¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Stevens Point, WI in?
Stevens Point is in Portage County, Wisconsin. About 26,377 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Plover, WI in?
Plover is in Portage County, Wisconsin. About 14,274 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Portage County?
4 operating plants with 25 MW of capacity. The largest is Stevens Point Mill (8 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Portage County?
1,432 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 250 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Vista Sands Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Portage County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Portage County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Waushara County.
Is Portage County adding jobs?
Employers counted 33,442 jobs in 2025 against 33,856 in 2019 (-1.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Portage County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Portage County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.