Baca County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Springfield
Baca County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Baca County is home to Springfield and Walsh. Next door, Las Animas County has 202 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,164 jobs in 2025, up 4.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 49% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Baca County
Baca County is home to Springfield and Walsh.
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 Baca County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,478 | 3,347 | ▼ 3.8% | 56th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,112 | 1,164 | ▲ 4.7% | 32nd of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,365 | $41,060 | ▲ 23.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25 | 59 | ▲ 136.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 3.3% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Baca County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 3,347 people live here, down 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Baca County
Utilities with service territory in Baca 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% |
| Southeast Colorado Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,148 | 17.22¢ | 55% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9 | 16.03¢ | 67% |
| City of Springfield - (CO) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 49% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 33% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 18% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vilas Solar Array | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2017 |
| Springfield (CO) | City of Springfield - (CO) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 1950 |
| Springfield Wind | Arkansas River Power Authority | Wind | 2 MW | 2004 |
The Baca County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,164 | $41,060 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 59 | $52,200 | 0.96 |
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 Baca County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Baca County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Baca County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Baca County, Las Animas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baca County | 3,347 | ▲ 4.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Bent County | 5,716 | ▲ 4.5% | 81 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Cimarron County OK | 2,059 | ▼ 16.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Las Animas County | 14,391 | ▼ 7.6% | 179 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Morton County KS | 2,470 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Prowers County | 11,884 | ▲ 2.8% | 248 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Stanton County KS | 1,986 | ▼ 19.0% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County NM | 3,844 | ▼ 8.9% | — | 190 MW | — | — |
More of Colorado
Baca County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Baca County, Colorado?
4 utilities have service territory in Baca County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Southeast Colorado Power Assn, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (OK), City of Springfield - (CO). The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Baca County?
3 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Vilas Solar Array (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Baca County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Baca County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Las Animas County.
Is Baca County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,164 jobs in 2025 against 1,112 in 2019 (+4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 25 to 59.
Does Baca County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Baca County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.