Alamosa County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alamosa
No data center or power plant project is on record in Alamosa County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Alamosa County is home to Alamosa. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Owners plan to retire 53 MW more by 2035, led by Alamosa in 2030. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 203 MW of capacity, 74% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Alamosa County
Alamosa County is home to Alamosa.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alamosa East.
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 Alamosa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,377 | 16,688 | ▲ 1.9% | 30th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,354 | 8,181 | ▼ 2.1% | 56th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,107 | $50,552 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 84 | 67 | ▼ 20.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 5.1% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 8,181 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Alamosa County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 16,688 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 67, down 20.2% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $57,462 a year.
Who powers Alamosa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Alamosa 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% |
| San Luis Valley R E C, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,115 | 18.38¢ | 26% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 150 MW | 74% |
| Natural gas | 53 MW | 26% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamosa | Public Service Co of Colorado | Natural gas | 53 MW | 1973 |
| Hooper Solar | Solar Star Colorado III, LLC | Solar | 52 MW | 2015 |
| San Luis Valley Solar Ranch | Avangrid Power LLC | Solar | 35 MW | 2011 |
| Alamosa Solar | Solar of Alamosa LLC | Solar | 30 MW | 2012 |
| Greater Sandhill I | Greater Sandhill I LLC | Solar | 19 MW | 2010 |
| SunE Alamosa | SunE Alamosa1 LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2007 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamosa | Natural gas | 53 MW | 2030 |
The Alamosa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,181 | $50,552 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 67 | $57,462 | 1.14 |
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 Alamosa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Alamosa County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Alamosa County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Alamosa County, Huerfano 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamosa County | 16,688 | ▼ 2.1% | 203 MW | — | — | — |
| Conejos County | 7,529 | ▲ 7.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Costilla County | 3,679 | ▼ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Huerfano County | 7,011 | ▲ 9.5% | 157 MW | — | — | — |
| Rio Grande County | 11,087 | ▲ 6.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Saguache County | 6,732 | ▼ 0.5% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Alamosa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Alamosa County, Colorado?
2 utilities have service territory in Alamosa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, San Luis Valley R E C, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Alamosa County?
10 operating plants with 203 MW of capacity. The largest is Alamosa (53 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Alamosa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Alamosa County.
Is Alamosa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,181 jobs in 2025 against 8,354 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Alamosa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Alamosa County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.