Adams County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Thornton, Commerce City and Westminster
The data center boom is not abstract in Adams County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Adams County, 6% of Colorado's total. Adams County is home to Thornton, Commerce City, most of Westminster (70,485 of its 116,182 residents) and part of Aurora (61,110 of its 410,053 residents). 8 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Pivot Energy (solar). 8 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Construction employs 26,313, up 11.3% since 2019, and construction is 2.0 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Adams County
Adams County is home to Thornton, Commerce City, most of Westminster (70,485 of its 116,182 residents) and part of Aurora (61,110 of its 410,053 residents).
- Westminster also extends into Jefferson County.
- Aurora also extends into Arapahoe County, Douglas County.
- Brighton also extends into Weld County.
- Bennett also extends into Arapahoe County.
- Arvada also extends into Jefferson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Berkley, Derby, North Washington, Shaw Heights, Sherrelwood, Strasburg, Todd Creek, Twin Lakes, Watkins, Welby.
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 Adams County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 520,411 | 554,668 | ▲ 6.6% | 5th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 225,848 | 249,734 | ▲ 10.6% | 12th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $56,639 | $75,431 | ▲ 33.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,640 | 26,313 | ▲ 11.3% | 19th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,031 | 4,112 | ▲ 35.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 862 | 920 | ▲ 6.7% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 515 | 588 | ▲ 14.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 294 | 164 | ▼ 44.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 4.8% | ▲ 2.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 181 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 8 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 15th of 18 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 4,112, up 35.7% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $96,420 a year. Its power plants have 1,767 MW of capacity, 88% of it natural gas, the 4th largest fleet in Colorado. Owners plan to retire 381 MW more by 2035, led by Cherokee in 2028. Employers here counted 249,734 jobs in 2025, up 10.6% from 2019. 181 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Panasonic Carport Solar Hybrid (battery storage, 1 MW, 2022). Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Adams County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 554,668 people live here, up 6.6% since 2020, 5th of 64 Colorado counties by population.
Who powers Adams County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +180 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Adams County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of Colorado | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,365,053 | 15.05¢ | 44% |
| CORE Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 165,067 | 15.04¢ | 32% |
| United Power, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 101,502 | 15.75¢ | 19% |
| Morgan County Rural Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,825 | 14.37¢ | 54% |
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 36
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,562 MW | 88% |
| Solar | 158 MW | 9% |
| Battery storage | 47 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee | Public Service Co of Colorado | Natural gas | 1,006 MW | 1968 |
| Blue Spruce Energy Center | Public Service Co of Colorado | Natural gas | 398 MW | 2003 |
| Frank Knutson | Tri-State G & T Assn, Inc | Natural gas | 154 MW | 2002 |
| Pioneer Solar (CO), LLC | Pioneer Solar (CO), LLC | Solar | 80 MW | 2021 |
| Prairie Center Energy LLC | Whetstone Power Operations LLC | Battery storage | 35 MW | 2024 |
| Victory Solar LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 13 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pivot Solar 53 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
| Pivot Solar 43 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panasonic Carport Solar Hybrid | Battery storage | 1 MW | 2022 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cherokee | Natural gas | 381 MW | 2028 |
The Adams County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 249,734 | $75,431 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 26,313 | $86,501 | 1.99 |
| Electrical contractors | 4,112 | $96,420 | 2.28 |
| Power and communication line construction | 920 | $120,896 | 2.28 |
| Electric utilities | 588 | $129,537 | 0.87 |
| Data processing and hosting | 164 | $151,520 | 0.21 |
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 Adams County
4 data centers in Adams County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Adams County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Adams County, Weld 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 554,668 | ▲ 10.6% | 1,767 MW | 8 MW | 4 | — |
| Arapahoe County | 673,820 | ▲ 1.8% | 336 MW | — | 17 | — |
| Broomfield County | 79,174 | ▲ 0.7% | 8 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Denver County | 740,613 | ▲ 6.0% | 218 MW | — | 17 | — |
| Jefferson County | 580,451 | ▲ 1.7% | 277 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Morgan County | 30,306 | ▲ 4.6% | 1,145 MW | 808 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 4,732 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Weld County | 378,426 | ▲ 7.9% | 4,151 MW | 914 MW | — | 1 |
More of Colorado
Adams County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Adams County, Colorado?
4 utilities have service territory in Adams County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, CORE Electric Cooperative, United Power, Inc, Morgan County Rural Elec Assn. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Thornton, CO in?
Thornton is in Adams County, Colorado. About 147,766 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Commerce City, CO in?
Commerce City is in Adams County, Colorado. About 72,345 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Westminster, CO in?
Most of Westminster is in Adams County: 70,485 of its 116,182 residents, or 61%. The rest of the city lies in Jefferson County.
What power plants are in Adams County?
36 operating plants with 1,767 MW of capacity. The largest is Cherokee (1,006 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Adams County?
8 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 8 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Pivot Energy.
Are there data centers in Adams County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Adams County.
Is Adams County adding jobs?
Employers counted 249,734 jobs in 2025 against 225,848 in 2019 (+10.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 23,640 to 26,313.
Does Adams County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Adams County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.