Delta County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Delta, Orchard City and Cedaredge
The build-out shows up in Delta County as work for the electrical trades. Delta County is home to Delta, Orchard City, Cedaredge and Paonia. Construction employs 624, up 37.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 262, up 48.9% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $76,731 a year. Unemployment was 6.2% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Next door, Mesa County has 202 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Delta County
Delta County is home to Delta, Orchard City, Cedaredge and Paonia.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lazear.
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 Delta County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 31,062 | 32,178 | ▲ 3.6% | 18th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,560 | 8,805 | ▲ 2.9% | 38th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,457 | $49,881 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 453 | 624 | ▲ 37.7% | 6th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 176 | 262 | ▲ 48.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 6.2% | ▲ 2.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 80 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
80 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 80 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 8,805 jobs in 2025, up 2.9% from 2019. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Delta County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 32,178 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Delta County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +80 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Delta 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% |
| Delta Montrose Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,575 | 14.97¢ | 26% |
| Grand Valley Power | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,268 | 15.94¢ | 29% |
| City of Delta - (CO) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 80 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garnet Mesa Solar | Garnet Mesa Solar LLC | Solar | 80 MW | 2025 |
The Delta County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,805 | $49,881 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 624 | $62,385 | 1.34 |
| Electrical contractors | 262 | $76,731 | 4.13 |
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 Delta County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Delta County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Mesa County.
Delta County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Delta County, Mesa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta County | 32,178 | ▲ 2.9% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Gunnison County | 17,439 | ▲ 8.3% | 86 MW | — | — | — |
| Mesa County | 162,845 | ▲ 5.1% | 56 MW | 202 MW | — | 1 |
| Montrose County | 44,591 | ▲ 12.7% | 228 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Delta County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Delta County, Colorado?
5 utilities have service territory in Delta County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Delta Montrose Electric Assn, Grand Valley Power, City of Delta - (CO). The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Delta County?
1 operating plant with 80 MW of capacity. The largest is Garnet Mesa Solar (80 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Delta County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Delta County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mesa County.
Is Delta County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,805 jobs in 2025 against 8,560 in 2019 (+2.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 453 to 624.
Does Delta County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Delta County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.