Gunnison County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gunnison and Crested Butte
No data center or power plant project is on record in Gunnison County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Gunnison County is home to Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte. Construction employs 944, up 25.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 80, up 53.8% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $64,013 a year. Next door, Mesa County has 202 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Gunnison County
Gunnison County is home to Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mount Crested Butte.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Somerset.
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 Gunnison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,950 | 17,439 | ▲ 2.9% | 29th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,714 | 9,439 | ▲ 8.3% | 16th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,936 | $56,689 | ▲ 41.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 750 | 944 | ▲ 25.9% | 8th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52 | 80 | ▲ 53.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 3.5% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Employers here counted 9,439 jobs in 2025, up 8.3% from 2019. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including 3 MW LLC (other technologies, 3 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 86 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Gunnison County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 17,439 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Gunnison County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Gunnison 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% |
| Holy Cross Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,982 | 12.04¢ | 41% |
| Delta Montrose Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,575 | 14.97¢ | 26% |
| Gunnison County Elec Assn. | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Gunnison - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 86 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mesa | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 86 MW | 1967 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 MW LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2023 |
The Gunnison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,439 | $56,689 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 944 | $67,801 | 1.89 |
| Electrical contractors | 80 | $64,013 | 1.18 |
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 Gunnison County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gunnison County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Mesa County.
Gunnison County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Gunnison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison County | 17,439 | ▲ 8.3% | 86 MW | — | — | — |
| Chaffee County | 20,831 | ▲ 13.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Delta County | 32,178 | ▲ 2.9% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Hinsdale County | 753 | ▲ 10.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Mesa County | 162,845 | ▲ 5.1% | 56 MW | 202 MW | — | 1 |
| Montrose County | 44,591 | ▲ 12.7% | 228 MW | — | — | — |
| Ouray County | 5,265 | ▲ 13.0% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Pitkin County | 16,625 | ▲ 5.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Saguache County | 6,732 | ▼ 0.5% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Gunnison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gunnison County, Colorado?
6 utilities have service territory in Gunnison County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Holy Cross Electric Assn, Inc, Delta Montrose Electric Assn, Gunnison County Elec Assn.. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Gunnison County?
1 operating plant with 86 MW of capacity. The largest is Blue Mesa (86 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Gunnison County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gunnison County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mesa County.
Is Gunnison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,439 jobs in 2025 against 8,714 in 2019 (+8.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 750 to 944.
Does Gunnison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gunnison County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.