Trempealeau County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Arcadia, Trempealeau and Osseo
Trempealeau County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Trempealeau County is home to Arcadia, Trempealeau, Osseo and Gale. Next door, Winona County, Minnesota, has 1 data center. Employers here counted 12,345 jobs in 2025, down 10.0% from 2019. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 338, down 2.3% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Trempealeau County
Trempealeau County is home to Arcadia, Trempealeau, Osseo and Gale.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dodge.
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 Trempealeau County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,825 | 31,171 | ▲ 1.1% | 43rd of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,717 | 12,345 | ▼ 10.0% | 68th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,569 | $53,715 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 346 | 338 | ▼ 2.3% | 53rd of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 22 MW of capacity, 50% of it petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 37, at an average $52,387 a year. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Trempealeau County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.83¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 31,171 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Trempealeau County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Trempealeau 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% |
| Riverland Energy Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,970 | 16.30¢ | 13% |
| Whitehall Electric Utility | Municipal | Bundled | 778 | 12.30¢ | 62% |
| City of Arcadia - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Eau Claire Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Trempealeau - (WI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 11 MW | 50% |
| Natural gas | 6 MW | 27% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 23% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arcadia Electric | City of Arcadia - (WI) | Petroleum | 17 MW | 1930 |
| Arcadia Solar | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
The Trempealeau County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,345 | $53,715 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 338 | $59,767 | 0.52 |
| Electrical contractors | 37 | $52,387 | 0.42 |
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 Trempealeau County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Trempealeau County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Eau Claire County, La Crosse County.
Trempealeau County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Trempealeau County, Buffalo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trempealeau County | 31,171 | ▼ 10.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Buffalo County | 13,318 | ▼ 10.1% | 390 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Eau Claire County | 109,033 | ▲ 0.1% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jackson County | 20,999 | ▼ 13.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| La Crosse County | 121,339 | ▲ 0.9% | 192 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Winona County MN | 50,523 | ▼ 2.3% | 32 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wisconsin
Trempealeau County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin?
7 utilities have service territory in Trempealeau County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Riverland Energy Cooperative, Whitehall Electric Utility, City of Arcadia - (WI). The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Trempealeau County?
2 operating plants with 22 MW of capacity. The largest is Arcadia Electric (17 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Trempealeau County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Trempealeau County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Winona County.
Is Trempealeau County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,345 jobs in 2025 against 13,717 in 2019 (-10.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 346 to 338.
Does Trempealeau County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Trempealeau County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.