Cochise County, Arizona: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sierra Vista, Douglas and Benson
Cochise County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cochise County. Cochise County is home to Sierra Vista, Douglas, Benson and Bisbee. 351 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Torch Operating Company, LLC (battery storage), the 7th largest pipeline among Arizona's counties. 351 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 2,055, up 18.2% since 2019. 811 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Cochise County
Cochise County is home to Sierra Vista, Douglas, Benson and Bisbee.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bowie, Dragoon, Elfrida, McNeal, Mescal, Miracle Valley, Naco, Palominas, Pirtleville, San Simon, Sierra Vista Southeast, St. David, Sunizona, Sunsites, Whetstone.
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 Cochise County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 125,527 | 126,332 | ▲ 0.6% | 8th of 15 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34,175 | 34,618 | ▲ 1.3% | 14th of 15 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,367 | $61,035 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,739 | 2,055 | ▲ 18.2% | 9th of 11 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.1% | 6.8% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 811 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 351 MW | 21% of today's fleet | 7th of 8 by size |
Its power plants have 1,666 MW of capacity, 35% of it natural gas, the 8th largest fleet in Arizona. Unemployment was 6.8% in August 2026, against 6.1% in 2019. Arizona Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Cochise County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.45¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.49¢ median for Arizona utilities. Employers here counted 34,618 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 126,332 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020, 8th of 15 Arizona counties by population.
Who powers Cochise County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +811 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cochise County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,256,120 | 16.45¢ | 48% |
| Tucson Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 412,747 | 15.63¢ | 22% |
| Sulphur Springs Valley E C Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 46,008 | 13.49¢ | 51% |
| Columbus Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 27% |
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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 578 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 554 MW | 33% |
| Battery storage | 275 MW | 17% |
| Coal | 204 MW | 12% |
| Wind | 30 MW | 2% |
| Petroleum | 26 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache Station | Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc | Natural gas | 782 MW | 1963 |
| Roadrunner Solar and BESS | Clenera LLC | Battery storage | 470 MW | 2025 |
| Babacomari Solar | Babacomari Solar, LLC | Solar | 160 MW | 2026 |
| Red Horse 2 | Red Horse 2 | Solar | 81 MW | 2015 |
| Apache Solar I | Arizona Electric Pwr Coop Inc | Battery storage | 40 MW | 2017 |
| SR McNeal | SR McNeal, LLC | Battery storage | 40 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester Solar I, LLC | Batteries | 88 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Torch Operating Company, LLC |
| Winchester Solar I, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 88 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Torch Operating Company, LLC |
| Winchester Solar II, LLC | Batteries | 88 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Torch Operating Company, LLC |
| Winchester Solar II, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 88 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Torch Operating Company, LLC |
The Cochise County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 34,618 | $61,035 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,055 | $59,540 | 1.12 |
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 Cochise County
1 data center in Cochise County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cochise County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cochise County, Pima 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cochise County | 126,332 | ▲ 1.3% | 1,666 MW | 351 MW | 1 | — |
| Graham County | 40,157 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Greenlee County | 9,312 | ▲ 9.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Hidalgo County NM | 3,929 | ▼ 21.9% | 297 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Pima County | 1,074,685 | ▲ 3.0% | 2,075 MW | — | 13 | 1 |
| Santa Cruz County | 50,020 | ▲ 4.3% | 114 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Arizona
Cochise County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cochise County, Arizona?
5 utilities have service territory in Cochise County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Arizona Public Service Co, Tucson Electric Power Co, Sulphur Springs Valley E C Inc, Columbus Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Arizona Public Service Co, charged residential customers 16.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Sierra Vista, AZ in?
Sierra Vista is in Cochise County, Arizona. About 44,907 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Douglas, AZ in?
Douglas is in Cochise County, Arizona. About 16,038 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cochise County?
10 operating plants with 1,666 MW of capacity. The largest is Apache Station (782 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Cochise County?
351 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 351 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Torch Operating Company, LLC.
Are there data centers in Cochise County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cochise County.
Is Cochise County adding jobs?
Employers counted 34,618 jobs in 2025 against 34,175 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,739 to 2,055.
Does Cochise County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cochise County. Arizona has 6 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.