Pima County, Arizona: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tucson, Marana and Oro Valley
Pima County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 13 data centers in Pima County, 6% of Arizona's total. Pima County is home to Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Proposed 120-day data center moratorium”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Blue (Tucson). 1,356 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Pima County
Pima County is home to Tucson, Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ajo, Ak Chin, Ali Chuk, Ali Chukson, Ali Molina, Anegam, Arivaca, Arivaca Junction, Avra Valley, Casas Adobes, Catalina, Catalina Foothills, Charco, Chiawuli Tak, Comobabi, Corona de Tucson, Cowlic, Drexel Heights, Elephant Head, Flowing Wells, Green Valley, Gu Oidak, Haivana Nakya, J-Six Ranchettes, Kleindale, Ko Vaya, Maish Vaya, Nelson, Nolic, Picture Rocks, Pisinemo, Rillito, Rincon Valley, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Sells, South Komelik, Summerhaven, Summit, Tanque Verde and 10 more.
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 Pima County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,045,245 | 1,074,685 | ▲ 2.8% | 2nd of 15 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 375,906 | 387,065 | ▲ 3.0% | 13th of 15 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,996 | $64,242 | ▲ 31.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,959 | 20,437 | ▲ 13.8% | 11th of 11 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,802 | 1,902 | ▲ 5.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 152 | 309 | ▲ 103.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 5.7% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,356 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 218 MW | — |
Construction employs 20,437, up 13.8% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,075 MW of capacity, 37% of it battery storage, the 6th largest fleet in Arizona. 218 MW has retired here since 2019, including H Wilson Sundt Generating Station (natural gas, 218 MW, 2019). Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,902, up 5.5% since 2019 against up 52.3% statewide, at an average $62,247 a year. Employers here counted 387,065 jobs in 2025, up 3.0% from 2019. Arizona Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Pima County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.45¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.49¢ median for Arizona utilities. 1,074,685 people live here, up 2.8% since 2020, 2nd of 15 Arizona counties by population.
Who powers Pima County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,139 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pima 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% |
| Trico Electric Cooperative Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 52,450 | 14.17¢ | 27% |
| Sulphur Springs Valley E C Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 46,008 | 13.49¢ | 51% |
| USBIA-San Carlos Project | Federal | Bundled | 11,432 | 19.49¢ | 42% |
| Ajo Improvement Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 821 | 12.56¢ | 38% |
| Tohono O'Odham Utility Authority | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 38
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 764 MW | 37% |
| Natural gas | 736 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 575 MW | 28% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H Wilson Sundt Generating Station | Tucson Electric Power Co | Natural gas | 529 MW | 1962 |
| Serrano | Serrano Solar, LLC | Solar | 384 MW | 2025 |
| Wilmot Energy Center II | Wilmot Energy Center II, LLC | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2026 |
| Roadrunner Reserve Phase 2 | Tucson Electric Power Co | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2026 |
| Roadrunner Reserve Phase 1 | Tucson Electric Power Co | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Wilmot Energy Center LLC | Wilmot Energy Center LLC | Solar | 160 MW | 2021 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| H Wilson Sundt Generating Station | Natural gas | 218 MW | 2019 |
The Pima County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 387,065 | $64,242 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 20,437 | $67,558 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,902 | $62,247 | 0.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 309 | $142,656 | 0.26 |
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 Pima County
13 data centers in Pima County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed 120-day data center moratorium | In force | 2026-09 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Blue (Tucson) | litigation active | — |
Pima County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pima County, Maricopa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pima County | 1,074,685 | ▲ 3.0% | 2,075 MW | — | 13 | 1 |
| Cochise County | 126,332 | ▲ 1.3% | 1,666 MW | 351 MW | 1 | — |
| Graham County | 40,157 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Maricopa County | 4,689,558 | ▲ 11.0% | 23,852 MW | 3,792 MW | 183 | — |
| Pinal County | 539,380 | ▲ 26.7% | 4,944 MW | 2,272 MW | — | 1 |
| Santa Cruz County | 50,020 | ▲ 4.3% | 114 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Yuma County | 224,449 | ▲ 4.1% | 2,353 MW | 1,118 MW | — | — |
More of Arizona
Pima County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pima County, Arizona?
8 utilities have service territory in Pima County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Arizona Public Service Co, Tucson Electric Power Co, Trico Electric Cooperative Inc, Sulphur Springs Valley E C Inc. The largest, Arizona Public Service Co, charged residential customers 16.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Tucson, AZ in?
Tucson is in Pima County, Arizona. About 548,371 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Marana, AZ in?
Marana is in Pima County, Arizona. About 65,523 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Oro Valley, AZ in?
Oro Valley is in Pima County, Arizona. About 48,085 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pima County?
38 operating plants with 2,075 MW of capacity. The largest is H Wilson Sundt Generating Station (529 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Pima County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 13 data centers in Pima County.
Is Pima County adding jobs?
Employers counted 387,065 jobs in 2025 against 375,906 in 2019 (+3.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 17,959 to 20,437.
Does Pima County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Pima County, 1 in force.