Maricopa County, Arizona: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Phoenix, Mesa and Gilbert
Maricopa County sits inside the data center build-out. Its power plants have 23,852 MW of capacity, 49% of it natural gas, the largest fleet in Arizona. 7,457 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. 3,792 MW of new generation is planned here across 21 units, led by Copia Power (battery storage), the largest pipeline among Arizona's counties. 1,792 MW of it is already under construction or built. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 183 data centers in Maricopa County, 91% of Arizona's total. Maricopa County is home to Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler.
Cities and towns in Maricopa County
Maricopa County is home to Phoenix, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler.
And 1 smaller places.
- Queen Creek also extends into Pinal County.
- Wickenburg also extends into Yavapai County.
- Apache Junction also extends into Pinal County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aguila, Anthem, Arlington, Circle City, Citrus Park, Gila Crossing, Kaka, Komatke, Maricopa Colony, Morristown, New River, Rio Verde, St. Johns, Sun City, Sun City West, Sun Lakes, Theba, Tonopah, Wintersburg, Wittmann.
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 Maricopa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,445,025 | 4,689,558 | ▲ 5.5% | 1st of 15 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,062,384 | 2,289,324 | ▲ 11.0% | 3rd of 15 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $56,353 | $76,350 | ▲ 35.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 131,397 | 171,192 | ▲ 30.3% | 6th of 11 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,376 | 28,044 | ▲ 52.6% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,254 | 4,016 | ▲ 78.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,680 | 9,277 | ▼ 4.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.8% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7,457 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 230 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3,792 MW | 16% of today's fleet | 1st of 8 by size |
2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Range (1,800 MW). Construction employs 171,192, up 30.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 28,044, up 52.6% since 2019 against up 52.3% statewide, at an average $89,508 a year. Employers here counted 2,289,324 jobs in 2025, up 11.0% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 15 Arizona counties). 230 MW has retired here since 2019, including Ocotillo (natural gas, 227 MW, 2019). Owners plan to retire 3 MW more by 2035, led by Macys Goodyear in 2035. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Arizona Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Maricopa County, one of 13 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.45¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.49¢ median for Arizona utilities. 4,689,558 people live here, up 5.5% since 2020, 1st of 15 Arizona counties by population.
Who powers Maricopa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7,227 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Maricopa 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% |
| Salt River Project | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 1,053,407 | 13.46¢ | 41% |
| City of Mesa - (AZ) | Municipal | Bundled | 15,331 | 16.93¢ | 51% |
| USBIA-San Carlos Project | Federal | Bundled | 11,432 | 19.49¢ | 42% |
| Gila River Indian Utility Authority (GRICUA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,682 | 14.25¢ | 83% |
| Buckeye Water C&D District | — | — | — | — | — |
| Electrical Dist No8 Maricopa | Political Subdivision | Bundled | — | — | 0% |
| Harquahala Valley Pwr District | — | — | — | — | — |
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 81
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 11,642 MW | 49% |
| Nuclear | 4,210 MW | 18% |
| Solar | 4,207 MW | 18% |
| Battery storage | 3,502 MW | 15% |
| Hydro | 288 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Verde | Arizona Public Service Co | Nuclear | 4,210 MW | 1986 |
| Santan | Salt River Project | Natural gas | 1,326 MW | 1974 |
| Harquahala Generating Project | New Harquahala Generating Co, LLC | Natural gas | 1,277 MW | 2004 |
| West Phoenix | Arizona Public Service Co | Natural gas | 1,207 MW | 1972 |
| Red Hawk | Arizona Public Service Co | Natural gas | 1,127 MW | 2002 |
| Ocotillo | Arizona Public Service Co | Natural gas | 806 MW | 1972 |
Planned generation 21
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa Solar | Batteries | 550 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Maricopa Solar |
| Saddleback Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 375 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Copia Power |
| Saddleback Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 375 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Copia Power |
| Desert Sand BESS | Solar Photovoltaic | 300 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | DESA bn, LLC |
| Desert Sand BESS | Batteries | 300 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | DESA bn, LLC |
| Saddleback Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Copia Power |
| Saddleback Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Copia Power |
| Romero Energy Center | Batteries | 225 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Romero Energy Center, LLC |
| Romero Energy Center II, LLC | Batteries | 225 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | Romero Energy Center II, LLC |
| Desert Bloom | Batteries | 150 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RE Desert Bloom LLC |
| Sierra Luna Energy Storage | Batteries | 150 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Sierra Luna Energy Storage LLC |
| Agave | Batteries | 150 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Arizona Public Service Co |
| White Tank Energy Storage | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | White Tank Energy Storage LLC |
| Red Hawk | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Arizona Public Service Co |
| Red Hawk | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Arizona Public Service Co |
| Red Hawk | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Arizona Public Service Co |
| Red Hawk | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Arizona Public Service Co |
| Red Hawk | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Arizona Public Service Co |
| Red Hawk | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Arizona Public Service Co |
| Red Hawk | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 49 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Arizona Public Service Co |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocotillo | Natural gas | 227 MW | 2019 |
| Glendale Energy Power Plant | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2019 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macys Goodyear | Solar | 3 MW | 2035 |
The Maricopa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,289,324 | $76,350 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 171,192 | $87,894 | 1.41 |
| Electrical contractors | 28,044 | $89,508 | 1.70 |
| Power and communication line construction | 4,016 | $114,976 | 1.09 |
| Electric utilities | 7,163 | $159,693 | 1.16 |
| Data processing and hosting | 9,277 | $150,241 | 1.30 |
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 Maricopa County
183 data centers in Maricopa County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Range | cancelled | 1,800 MW | ||
| Tract Goodyear/Buckeye Data Center | withdrawn | — |
Maricopa County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Maricopa County, Pinal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maricopa County | 4,689,558 | ▲ 11.0% | 23,852 MW | 3,792 MW | 183 | — |
| Gila County | 53,801 | ▲ 3.3% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| La Paz County | 16,711 | ▲ 10.8% | 1,213 MW | 3,013 MW | — | — |
| Pima County | 1,074,685 | ▲ 3.0% | 2,075 MW | — | 13 | 1 |
| Pinal County | 539,380 | ▲ 26.7% | 4,944 MW | 2,272 MW | — | 1 |
| Yavapai County | 252,552 | ▲ 9.4% | 67 MW | — | — | — |
| Yuma County | 224,449 | ▲ 4.1% | 2,353 MW | 1,118 MW | — | — |
More of Arizona
Maricopa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Maricopa County, Arizona?
13 utilities have service territory in Maricopa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Arizona Public Service Co, Salt River Project, City of Mesa - (AZ), USBIA-San Carlos Project. The largest, Arizona Public Service Co, charged residential customers 16.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Phoenix, AZ in?
Phoenix is in Maricopa County, Arizona. About 1,665,481 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Mesa, AZ in?
Mesa is in Maricopa County, Arizona. About 513,656 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Gilbert, AZ in?
Gilbert is in Maricopa County, Arizona. About 287,285 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Maricopa County?
81 operating plants with 23,852 MW of capacity. The largest is Palo Verde (4,210 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Maricopa County?
3,792 MW across 21 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 1,792 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Copia Power.
Are there data centers in Maricopa County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 183 data centers in Maricopa County.
Is Maricopa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,289,324 jobs in 2025 against 2,062,384 in 2019 (+11.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 131,397 to 171,192.
Does Maricopa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Maricopa County. Arizona has 6 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.