Shawano County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shawano, Wescott and Washington
Shawano County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Shawano County is home to Shawano, Wescott, Washington and Angelica. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “Shawano County (committee recommends 1-year data center moratorium), WI data center moratorium (proposed)”. Construction employs 473, up 22.2% since 2019. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 12,341 jobs in 2025, down 3.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Shawano County
Shawano County is home to Shawano, Wescott, Washington and Angelica.
And 10 smaller places.
- Pulaski also extends into Brown County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Angelica, Caroline, Green Valley, Krakow, Leopolis, Middle Village, Navarino, Paac Ciinak, Pella, Pulcifer, Thornton, Tilleda.
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 Shawano County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,859 | 41,560 | ▲ 1.7% | 37th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,742 | 12,341 | ▼ 3.1% | 51st of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,840 | $47,118 | ▲ 35.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 387 | 473 | ▲ 22.2% | 25th of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Wisconsin Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Shawano County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 41,560 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Shawano County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Shawano 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 Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 437,211 | 16.89¢ | 22% |
| Wisconsin Public Service Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 411,775 | 16.23¢ | 38% |
| Shawano Municipal Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 4,932 | 12.65¢ | 4% |
| Badger Power Marketing Authority | — | — | — | — | — |
| Central Wisconsin Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Gresham - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oconto Electric Cooperative | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonduel Solar WI, LLC | Wisconsin Electric Power Co | Solar | 8 MW | 2023 |
The Shawano County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,341 | $47,118 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 473 | $67,150 | 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 Shawano County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano County (committee recommends 1-year data center moratorium), WI data center moratorium (proposed) | Proposed | 2026-06 | |
| County moratorium on data centers through June 24, 2027 | In force | 2026-01 |
Shawano County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Shawano County, Portage 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawano County | 41,560 | ▼ 3.1% | 8 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Brown County | 275,803 | ▲ 1.1% | 352 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Langlade County | 19,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Marathon County | 139,432 | ▼ 2.7% | 1,164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Menominee County | 4,199 | ▼ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Oconto County | 40,195 | ▲ 2.0% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Outagamie County | 195,894 | ▼ 0.4% | 838 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Portage County | 71,943 | ▼ 1.2% | 25 MW | 1,432 MW | — | — |
| Waupaca County | 51,461 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Shawano County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shawano County, Wisconsin?
8 utilities have service territory in Shawano County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Electric Power Co, Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Wisconsin Public Service Corp, Shawano Municipal Utilities. The largest, Wisconsin Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 19.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Shawano County?
1 operating plant with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Bonduel Solar WI, LLC (8 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Shawano County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Shawano County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Portage County.
Is Shawano County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,341 jobs in 2025 against 12,742 in 2019 (-3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 387 to 473.
Does Shawano County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Shawano County, 1 in force.