Pinal County, Arizona: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Maricopa, Casa Grande and Apache Junction
New generation is lining up in Pinal County. Construction employs 5,209, up 155.7% since 2019. 2,272 MW of new generation is planned here across 15 units, led by THSI bn, LLC (battery storage), the 4th largest pipeline among Arizona's counties. 1,172 MW of it is already under construction or built. 2,651 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Pinal County is home to Maricopa, Casa Grande, Apache Junction and Florence. Its power plants have 4,944 MW of capacity, 56% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in Arizona.
Cities and towns in Pinal County
Pinal County is home to Maricopa, Casa Grande, Apache Junction and Florence.
- Queen Creek also extends into Maricopa County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ak-Chin Village, Arizona City, Blackwater, Cactus Forest, Campo Bonito, Casa Blanca, Chuichu, Dudleyville, Gold Canyon, Goodyear Village, Kohatk, Lower Santan Village, Oracle, Picacho, Queen Valley, Red Rock, Sacate Village, Sacaton, Sacaton Flats Village, Saddlebrooke, San Manuel, San Tan Valley, Santa Cruz, Stanfield, Stotonic Village, Sweet Water Village, Tat Momoli, Top-of-the-World, Upper Santan Village, Vaiva Vo, Wet Camp Village.
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 Pinal County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 430,231 | 539,380 | ▲ 25.4% | 3rd of 15 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 63,101 | 79,977 | ▲ 26.7% | 1st of 15 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,511 | $61,079 | ▲ 37.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,037 | 5,209 | ▲ 155.7% | 1st of 11 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 5.7% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2,651 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2,272 MW | 46% of today's fleet | 4th of 8 by size |
Employers here counted 79,977 jobs in 2025, up 26.7% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 15 Arizona counties). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “La Osa data center rezoning rejected”. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Casa Grande 480-Acre Data Center Campus (Willis/Barnes parcels). 539,380 people live here, up 25.4% since 2020, 3rd of 15 Arizona counties by population. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Walmart Casa Grande (solar, 2 MW, 2023). Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Arizona Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Pinal County, one of 12 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.45¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.49¢ median for Arizona utilities.
Who powers Pinal County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2,649 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pinal 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% |
| Trico Electric Cooperative Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 52,450 | 14.17¢ | 27% |
| Electrical Dist No3 Pinal County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 32,009 | 13.93¢ | 22% |
| USBIA-San Carlos Project | Federal | Bundled | 11,432 | 19.49¢ | 42% |
| Electrical Dist No2 Pinal County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 5,218 | 13.26¢ | 54% |
| Gila River Indian Utility Authority (GRICUA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,682 | 14.25¢ | 83% |
| Ak-Chin Electric Utility Authority | State | Bundled | 319 | 12.95¢ | 85% |
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 22
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,748 MW | 56% |
| Solar | 1,496 MW | 30% |
| Battery storage | 698 MW | 14% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolidge Generation Station | Salt River Project | Natural gas | 1,023 MW | 2011 |
| Desert Basin | Salt River Project | Natural gas | 745 MW | 2001 |
| Sundance | Arizona Public Service Co | Natural gas | 695 MW | 2002 |
| Eleven Mile Solar Center | Eleven Mile Solar Center, LLC | Solar | 600 MW | 2024 |
| Box Canyon (AZ) | BOCA bn, LLC | Solar | 300 MW | 2025 |
| Storey Solar and Storage | Storey Energy Center, LLC | Battery storage | 210 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 15
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Farms Energy Center | Batteries | 400 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Valley Farms Energy Center, LLC |
| THREE SISTERS Solar Generation and BESS | Batteries | 300 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | THSI bn, LLC |
| THREE SISTERS Solar Generation and BESS | Solar Photovoltaic | 300 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | THSI bn, LLC |
| Sawtooth Solar | Batteries | 250 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | EDF Renewables Development, Inc. |
| Sawtooth Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 250 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | EDF Renewables Development, Inc. |
| Selma Energy Center | Batteries | 150 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Selma Energy Center, LLC |
| Selma Energy Center | Solar Photovoltaic | 125 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Selma Energy Center, LLC |
| Kitt Solar | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | 301AK 8me LLC |
| Kitt Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | 301AK 8me LLC |
| Coolidge Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Salt River Project |
| Coolidge Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Salt River Project |
| Coolidge Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Salt River Project |
| Coolidge Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Salt River Project |
| Coolidge Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Salt River Project |
| Coolidge Generation Station | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Salt River Project |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walmart Casa Grande | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Pinal County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 79,977 | $61,079 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,209 | $74,549 | 1.23 |
| Data processing and hosting | 14 | $89,942 | 0.06 |
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 Pinal County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Osa data center rezoning rejected | In force | 2026-08 |
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Grande 480-Acre Data Center Campus (Willis/Barnes parcels) | under appeal | — | ||
| Vermaland data center campus | denied | — |
Pinal County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Pinal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinal County | 539,380 | ▲ 26.7% | 4,944 MW | 2,272 MW | — | 1 |
| Gila County | 53,801 | ▲ 3.3% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Graham County | 40,157 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Maricopa County | 4,689,558 | ▲ 11.0% | 23,852 MW | 3,792 MW | 183 | — |
| Pima County | 1,074,685 | ▲ 3.0% | 2,075 MW | — | 13 | 1 |
More of Arizona
Pinal County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pinal County, Arizona?
12 utilities have service territory in Pinal County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Arizona Public Service Co, Salt River Project, Trico Electric Cooperative Inc, Electrical Dist No3 Pinal County. The largest, Arizona Public Service Co, charged residential customers 16.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Maricopa, AZ in?
Maricopa is in Pinal County, Arizona. About 78,362 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Casa Grande, AZ in?
Casa Grande is in Pinal County, Arizona. About 69,753 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Apache Junction, AZ in?
Apache Junction is in Pinal County, Arizona. About 45,289 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pinal County?
22 operating plants with 4,944 MW of capacity. The largest is Coolidge Generation Station (1,023 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Pinal County?
2,272 MW across 15 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 1,172 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is THSI bn, LLC.
Are there data centers in Pinal County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pinal County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Maricopa County.
Is Pinal County adding jobs?
Employers counted 79,977 jobs in 2025 against 63,101 in 2019 (+26.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,037 to 5,209.
Does Pinal County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Pinal County, 1 in force.