Chaffee County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs
No data center or power plant project is on record in Chaffee County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Chaffee County is home to Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs. Construction employs 720, up 11.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. Employers here counted 9,343 jobs in 2025, up 13.2% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 64 Colorado counties). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Chaffee County
Chaffee County is home to Salida, Buena Vista and Poncha Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Garfield, Johnson Village, Maysville, Nathrop, Smeltertown.
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 Chaffee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,486 | 20,831 | ▲ 6.9% | 25th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,252 | 9,343 | ▲ 13.2% | 8th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,915 | $54,447 | ▲ 39.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 645 | 720 | ▲ 11.6% | 17th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59 | 54 | ▼ 8.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Owners plan to retire 1 MW more by 2035, led by Salida in 2027. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 89% of it solar. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Chaffee County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 20,831 people live here, up 6.9% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 54, down 8.5% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $58,460 a year.
Who powers Chaffee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chaffee 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% |
| Sangre De Cristo Elec Assn Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 72% |
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 | 5 MW | 89% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Leaf Solar XXXIII LLC (Lantz) | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |
| Trout Creek Solar | Onsite Partners, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Salida | Public Service Co of Colorado | Hydro | 1 MW | 1908 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salida | Hydro | 1 MW | 2027 |
The Chaffee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,343 | $54,447 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 720 | $73,148 | 1.45 |
| Electrical contractors | 54 | $58,460 | 0.80 |
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 Chaffee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chaffee County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Chaffee County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Chaffee County, Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaffee County | 20,831 | ▲ 13.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Fremont County | 50,039 | ▲ 6.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Gunnison County | 17,439 | ▲ 8.3% | 86 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 7,552 | ▲ 22.0% | 202 MW | — | — | — |
| Park County | 18,314 | ▲ 23.3% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Pitkin County | 16,625 | ▲ 5.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Saguache County | 6,732 | ▼ 0.5% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Chaffee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chaffee County, Colorado?
4 utilities have service territory in Chaffee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, CORE Electric Cooperative, Sangre De Cristo Elec Assn Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chaffee County?
3 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Oak Leaf Solar XXXIII LLC (Lantz) (3 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Chaffee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chaffee County.
Is Chaffee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,343 jobs in 2025 against 8,252 in 2019 (+13.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 645 to 720.
Does Chaffee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chaffee County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.