Cheyenne County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Arapahoe
Cheyenne County is where a large share of Colorado's next power plants are planned. Cheyenne County is home to Cheyenne Wells. 688 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Public Service Co of Colorado (wind), the 5th largest pipeline among Colorado's counties. 688 MW of it is already under construction or built. 498 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 1.6% in 2019. Its power plants have 498 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Cheyenne County
Cheyenne County is home to Cheyenne Wells.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arapahoe.
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 Cheyenne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,746 | 1,713 | ▼ 1.9% | 59th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 703 | 718 | ▲ 2.1% | 41st of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,715 | $59,133 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 1.6% | 2.9% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 498 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 688 MW | 138% of today's fleet | 5th of 18 by size |
Employers here counted 718 jobs in 2025, up 2.1% from 2019. Southeast Colorado Power Assn is the largest utility serving Cheyenne County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.15¢ median for Colorado utilities. 1,713 people live here, down 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Cheyenne County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +498 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cheyenne County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Colorado Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,148 | 17.22¢ | 55% |
| K C Electric Association | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,404 | 13.09¢ | 51% |
| Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31 | 18.37¢ | 82% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 498 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Ridge Wind Farm | Public Service Co of Colorado | Wind | 498 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne Ridge II | Onshore Wind Turbine | 438 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Public Service Co of Colorado |
| Dry Land Prairie Energy Storage | Batteries | 250 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Dry Land Prairie Energy Storage, LLC |
The Cheyenne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 718 | $59,133 | 1.00 |
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 Cheyenne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cheyenne County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Kiowa County.
Cheyenne County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cheyenne County, Kit Carson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheyenne County | 1,713 | ▲ 2.1% | 498 MW | 688 MW | — | — |
| Greeley County KS | 1,182 | ▲ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Kiowa County | 1,412 | ▲ 0.2% | — | 300 MW | — | 1 |
| Kit Carson County | 7,069 | ▲ 6.4% | 1,436 MW | 753 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 5,645 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,007 MW | — | — | — |
| Wallace County KS | 1,441 | ▼ 1.5% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Cheyenne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cheyenne County, Colorado?
3 utilities have service territory in Cheyenne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southeast Colorado Power Assn, K C Electric Association, Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southeast Colorado Power Assn, charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cheyenne County?
1 operating plant with 498 MW of capacity. The largest is Cheyenne Ridge Wind Farm (498 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Cheyenne County?
688 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 688 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Public Service Co of Colorado.
Are there data centers in Cheyenne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cheyenne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Kit Carson County.
Is Cheyenne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 718 jobs in 2025 against 703 in 2019 (+2.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cheyenne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cheyenne County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.