Wood County, Wisconsin: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield and Grand Rapids
Wood County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Wood County. Wood County is home to Wisconsin Rapids, most of Marshfield (17,911 of its 18,980 residents), Grand Rapids and Saratoga. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including DC Rapids LLC Data Center (former papermill site). 81 MW has retired here since 2019, including Wisconsin Rapids Pulp Mill (other technologies, 72 MW, 2024). Employers here counted 35,407 jobs in 2025, down 8.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Wood County
Wood County is home to Wisconsin Rapids, most of Marshfield (17,911 of its 18,980 residents), Grand Rapids and Saratoga.
And 4 smaller places.
- Marshfield also extends into Marathon County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Babcock, Ceex Haci, Lake Wazeecha.
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 Wood County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 74,180 | 74,060 | ▼ 0.2% | 22nd of 72 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38,719 | 35,407 | ▼ 8.6% | 65th of 72 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,982 | $59,574 | ▲ 29.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,626 | 1,663 | ▲ 2.3% | 52nd of 61 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 225 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 81 MW | — |
225 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 1,663, up 2.3% since 2019. Its power plants have 407 MW of capacity, 37% of it solar. Wisconsin Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Wood County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.89¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.25¢ median for Wisconsin utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 74,060 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Wood County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +144 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wood 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% |
| Adams-Columbia Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,910 | 17.63¢ | 16% |
| Oakdale Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,027 | 15.87¢ | 14% |
| Wisconsin Rapids W W & L Comm | Municipal | Bundled | 12,395 | 13.37¢ | 44% |
| City of Marshfield - (WI) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,928 | 10.07¢ | 24% |
| Consolidated Water Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 70 | 11.54¢ | 0% |
| Clark Electric Coop - (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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 150 MW | 37% |
| Natural gas | 106 MW | 26% |
| Battery storage | 75 MW | 18% |
| Coal | 38 MW | 9% |
| Hydro | 24 MW | 6% |
| Other technologies | 13 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County | Wisconsin Power & Light Co | Battery storage | 225 MW | 2022 |
| Biron Mill | ND Paper, Inc. | Coal | 62 MW | 1947 |
| Marshfield Utilities Gas Plant | City of Marshfield - (WI) | Natural gas | 60 MW | 2011 |
| Georgia-Pacific Corp - Nekoosa Mill | Domtar Industries Inc | Hydro | 39 MW | 1912 |
| Wisconsin Rapids | Consolidated Water Power Co | Hydro | 8 MW | 1903 |
| Port Edwards Mill | Domtar Industries Inc | Hydro | 7 MW | 1913 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Rapids Pulp Mill | Other technologies | 72 MW | 2024 |
| Wisconsin Rapids Paper Mill | Other technologies | 8 MW | 2020 |
The Wood County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 35,407 | $59,574 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,663 | $77,440 | 0.89 |
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 Wood County
1 data center in Wood County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Rapids LLC Data Center (former papermill site) | pending review | — |
Wood County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood County | 74,060 | ▼ 8.6% | 407 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Adams County | 21,752 | ▲ 0.4% | 23 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 35,052 | ▲ 2.9% | 2 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Jackson County | 20,999 | ▼ 13.5% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Juneau County | 26,649 | ▼ 2.3% | 45 MW | 230 MW | — | — |
| Marathon County | 139,432 | ▼ 2.7% | 1,164 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Portage County | 71,943 | ▼ 1.2% | 25 MW | 1,432 MW | — | — |
More of Wisconsin
Wood County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wood County, Wisconsin?
7 utilities have service territory in Wood County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wisconsin Power & Light Co, Adams-Columbia Electric Coop, Oakdale 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 Wisconsin Rapids, WI in?
Wisconsin Rapids is in Wood County, Wisconsin. About 18,654 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Marshfield, WI in?
Most of Marshfield is in Wood County: 17,911 of its 18,980 residents, or 94%. The rest of the city lies in Marathon County.
What power plants are in Wood County?
7 operating plants with 407 MW of capacity. The largest is Wood County (225 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Wood County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Wood County.
Is Wood County adding jobs?
Employers counted 35,407 jobs in 2025 against 38,719 in 2019 (-8.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,626 to 1,663.
Does Wood County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wood County. Wisconsin has 49 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.