Washburn County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Spooner, Shell Lake and Evergreen
Washburn 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. Washburn County is home to Spooner, Shell Lake, Evergreen and Bashaw. Electrical contractors employ 18, up 50.0% since 2019 against up 21.6% statewide, at an average $45,563 a year. 2 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by OneEnergy, Inc. (solar). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 5,459 jobs in 2025, down 5.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Washburn County
Washburn County is home to Spooner, Shell Lake, Evergreen and Bashaw.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Springbrook, Stone Lake, Trego.
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 Washburn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,618 | 17,087 | ▲ 2.8% | 59th of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,797 | 5,459 | ▼ 5.8% | 61st of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,912 | $46,789 | ▲ 30.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12 | 18 | ▲ 50.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2 MW | 72% of today's fleet | 17th of 17 by size |
Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 62% of it solar. Northern States Power Co is the largest utility serving Washburn 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 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. 17,087 people live here, up 2.8% since 2020.
Who powers Washburn County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washburn 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% |
| Polk-Burnett Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,379 | 15.90¢ | 22% |
| Barron Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,266 | 15.72¢ | 9% |
| Dahlberg Light & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 10,939 | 12.62¢ | 18% |
| East Central Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,182 | 16.65¢ | 12% |
| North Central Power Co Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,991 | 15.73¢ | 21% |
| City of Spooner - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 2 MW | 62% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 38% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spooner Solar Array | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Trego | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 1 MW | 1927 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spooner | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | OneEnergy, Inc. |
The Washburn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,459 | $46,789 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 18 | $45,563 | 0.46 |
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 Washburn County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Washburn County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Sawyer County.
Washburn County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Washburn County, Barron 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washburn County | 17,087 | ▼ 5.8% | 3 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Barron County | 46,484 | ▼ 3.6% | 33 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Bayfield County | 16,787 | ▲ 2.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Burnett County | 17,223 | ▲ 12.8% | 11 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Douglas County | 43,990 | ▼ 0.7% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Rusk County | 14,146 | ▼ 11.4% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
| Sawyer County | 18,846 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Wisconsin
Washburn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washburn County, Wisconsin?
7 utilities have service territory in Washburn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern States Power Co, Polk-Burnett Electric Coop, Barron Electric Coop, Dahlberg Light & Power Co. The largest, Northern States Power Co, charged residential customers 15.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Washburn County?
2 operating plants with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Spooner Solar Array (2 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Washburn County?
2 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is OneEnergy, Inc..
Are there data centers in Washburn County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Washburn County.
Is Washburn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,459 jobs in 2025 against 5,797 in 2019 (-5.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Washburn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Washburn County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.