El Paso County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Colorado Springs, Fountain and Monument
El Paso County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in El Paso County, 15% of Colorado's total. El Paso County is home to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Monument and Manitou Springs. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Taurus (Colorado Springs) (50 MW). 580 MW of new generation is planned here across 11 units, led by City of Colorado Springs - (CO) (natural gas), the 6th largest pipeline among Colorado's counties. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in El Paso County
El Paso County is home to Colorado Springs, Fountain, Monument and Manitou Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Air Force Academy, Black Forest, Cascade-Chipita Park, Cimarron Hills, Ellicott, Fort Carson, Gleneagle, Peyton, Rock Creek Park, Security-Widefield, Stratmoor, Woodmoor.
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 El Paso County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 733,721 | 757,040 | ▲ 3.2% | 1st of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 283,370 | 307,977 | ▲ 8.7% | 15th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,619 | $70,897 | ▲ 34.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,532 | 17,026 | ▼ 2.9% | 27th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,965 | 1,878 | ▼ 4.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 528 | 498 | ▼ 5.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 615 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 268 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 580 MW | 29% of today's fleet | 6th of 18 by size |
Its power plants have 1,987 MW of capacity, 56% of it natural gas, the 3rd largest fleet in Colorado. 615 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 268 MW has retired here since 2019, including South Plant (CO) (natural gas, 132 MW, 2022). Owners plan to retire 207 MW more by 2035, led by Ray D Nixon in 2029. Employers here counted 307,977 jobs in 2025, up 8.7% from 2019. Construction employs 17,026, down 2.9% since 2019. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving El Paso County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. Electrical contractors employ 1,878, down 4.4% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $71,740 a year. 757,040 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020, 1st of 64 Colorado counties by population.
Who powers El Paso County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +347 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in El Paso 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% |
| City of Colorado Springs - (CO) | Municipal | Bundled | 216,771 | 14.45¢ | 26% |
| CORE Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 165,067 | 15.04¢ | 32% |
| Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 89,252 | 17.05¢ | 47% |
| Mountain View Elec Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 59,789 | 15.52¢ | 20% |
| City of Fountain | Municipal | Bundled | 17,242 | 13.74¢ | 36% |
| Southeast Colorado Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,148 | 17.22¢ | 55% |
| 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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,103 MW | 56% |
| Solar | 290 MW | 15% |
| Wind | 250 MW | 13% |
| Coal | 207 MW | 10% |
| Battery storage | 104 MW | 5% |
| Hydro | 33 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Range Power Plant | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) | Natural gas | 554 MW | 2003 |
| Ray D Nixon | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) | Natural gas | 283 MW | 1980 |
| Golden West Power Partners LLC | Golden West Power Partners, LLC | Wind | 250 MW | 2015 |
| South Plant (CO) | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) | Natural gas | 245 MW | 2023 |
| Fountain Valley Power Facility | Fountain Valley Power LLC | Natural gas | 228 MW | 2001 |
| Pike Solar Hybrid | Deriva Energy | Solar | 175 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 11
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drennan Energy Storage | Batteries | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Drennan Energy Storage LLC |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
| Horizon | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 48 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | City of Colorado Springs - (CO) |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Plant (CO) | Natural gas | 132 MW | 2022 |
| South Plant (CO) | Coal | 75 MW | 2022 |
| George Birdsall | Natural gas | 61 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray D Nixon | Coal | 207 MW | 2029 |
The El Paso County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 307,977 | $70,897 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 17,026 | $75,284 | 1.04 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,878 | $71,740 | 0.85 |
| Data processing and hosting | 498 | $146,212 | 0.52 |
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 El Paso County
10 data centers in El Paso County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Taurus (Colorado Springs) | delayed | 50 MW |
El Paso County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border El Paso County, Pueblo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | 757,040 | ▲ 8.7% | 1,987 MW | 580 MW | 10 | — |
| Crowley County | 5,677 | ▲ 3.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Douglas County | 399,396 | ▲ 14.3% | 4 MW | 8 MW | 8 | — |
| Elbert County | 30,534 | ▲ 34.4% | 600 MW | 125 MW | — | — |
| Fremont County | 50,039 | ▲ 6.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 5,645 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,007 MW | — | — | — |
| Pueblo County | 169,277 | ▼ 1.1% | 3,613 MW | 1,418 MW | — | — |
| Teller County | 24,756 | ▲ 9.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
El Paso County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in El Paso County, Colorado?
8 utilities have service territory in El Paso County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, City of Colorado Springs - (CO), CORE Electric Cooperative, Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Colorado Springs, CO in?
Colorado Springs is in El Paso County, Colorado. About 494,743 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fountain, CO in?
Fountain is in El Paso County, Colorado. About 29,450 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Monument, CO in?
Monument is in El Paso County, Colorado. About 13,813 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in El Paso County?
17 operating plants with 1,987 MW of capacity. The largest is Front Range Power Plant (554 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in El Paso County?
580 MW across 11 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is City of Colorado Springs - (CO).
Are there data centers in El Paso County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in El Paso County.
Is El Paso County adding jobs?
Employers counted 307,977 jobs in 2025 against 283,370 in 2019 (+8.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 17,532 to 17,026.
Does El Paso County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for El Paso County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.