Lake County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Leadville
Lake County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Lake County is home to Leadville. Employers here counted 2,963 jobs in 2025, up 22.0% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 64 Colorado counties). Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Construction employs 165, up 7.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 202 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Lake County
Lake County is home to Leadville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Leadville North, Twin Lakes.
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 Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,409 | 7,552 | ▲ 1.9% | 41st of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,428 | 2,963 | ▲ 22.0% | 5th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,519 | $63,930 | ▲ 46.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 154 | 165 | ▲ 7.1% | 22nd of 38 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 25, at an average $64,111 a year. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Lake County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 7,552 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Lake County
Utilities with service territory in Lake 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% |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 202 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Elbert | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 200 MW | 1981 |
| Sugarloaf Hydro Plant | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1985 |
The Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,963 | $63,930 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 165 | $65,832 | 1.05 |
| Electrical contractors | 25 | $64,111 | 1.17 |
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 Lake County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lake County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lake County, Summit 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 7,552 | ▲ 22.0% | 202 MW | — | — | — |
| Chaffee County | 20,831 | ▲ 13.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Eagle County | 54,291 | ▲ 4.9% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Park County | 18,314 | ▲ 23.3% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Pitkin County | 16,625 | ▲ 5.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Summit County | 31,517 | ▲ 1.2% | 28 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lake County, Colorado?
3 utilities have service territory in Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, 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 Lake County?
2 operating plants with 202 MW of capacity. The largest is Mount Elbert (200 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Lake County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lake County.
Is Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,963 jobs in 2025 against 2,428 in 2019 (+22.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 154 to 165.
Does Lake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lake County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.