Larimer County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Collins, Loveland and Berthoud
Larimer County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Larimer County is home to Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud and Wellington. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Temporary data center facilities moratorium”. 225 MW of new generation is planned here across 6 units, led by Platte River Power Authority (natural gas), the 8th largest pipeline among Colorado's counties. 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Owners plan to retire 294 MW more by 2035, led by Rawhide in 2029.
Cities and towns in Larimer County
Larimer County is home to Fort Collins, Loveland, Berthoud and Wellington.
- Berthoud also extends into Weld County.
- Windsor also extends into Weld County.
- Johnstown also extends into Weld County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Laporte, Red Feather 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 Larimer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 359,942 | 377,292 | ▲ 4.8% | 8th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 165,816 | 171,281 | ▲ 3.3% | 36th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,918 | $75,913 | ▲ 40.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,262 | 10,846 | ▼ 3.7% | 28th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,270 | 1,106 | ▼ 12.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59 | 181 | ▲ 206.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 756 | 417 | ▼ 44.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 4.4% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 25 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 225 MW | 21% of today's fleet | 8th of 18 by size |
Construction employs 10,846, down 3.7% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,055 MW of capacity, 48% of it natural gas, the 8th largest fleet in Colorado. 25 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 171,281 jobs in 2025, up 3.3% from 2019. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Larimer County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 377,292 people live here, up 4.8% since 2020, 8th of 64 Colorado counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 1,106, down 12.9% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $70,658 a year.
Who powers Larimer County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +25 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Larimer 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 Fort Collins - (CO) | Municipal | Bundled | 70,803 | 13.21¢ | 33% |
| Poudre Valley REA, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,587 | 12.21¢ | 28% |
| City of Loveland - (CO) | Municipal | Bundled | 37,007 | 14.40¢ | 15% |
| Mountain Parks Electric, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,183 | 15.98¢ | 38% |
| High West Energy, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 670 | 15.15¢ | 2% |
| Town of Estes Park | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 507 MW | 48% |
| Coal | 294 MW | 28% |
| Hydro | 193 MW | 18% |
| Solar | 61 MW | 6% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rawhide | Platte River Power Authority | Natural gas | 800 MW | 1984 |
| Flatiron | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 94 MW | 1954 |
| Estes | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 45 MW | 1950 |
| Pole Hill | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 38 MW | 1954 |
| Bison Solar LLC | Bison Solar LLC | Solar | 30 MW | 2016 |
| Rawhide Prairie Solar Hybrid | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Battery storage | 23 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 6
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rawhide | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 45 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Platte River Power Authority |
| Rawhide | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 45 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Platte River Power Authority |
| Rawhide | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 45 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Platte River Power Authority |
| Rawhide | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 45 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Platte River Power Authority |
| Rawhide | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 45 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Platte River Power Authority |
| Pivot Solar 42 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rawhide | Coal | 294 MW | 2029 |
The Larimer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 171,281 | $75,913 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 10,846 | $78,656 | 1.20 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,106 | $70,658 | 0.90 |
| Power and communication line construction | 181 | $80,160 | 0.65 |
| Electric utilities | 203 | $140,226 | 0.44 |
| Data processing and hosting | 417 | $124,780 | 0.78 |
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 Larimer County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary data center facilities moratorium | In force | 2026-01 |
Larimer County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Larimer County, Laramie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Larimer County | 377,292 | ▲ 3.3% | 1,055 MW | 225 MW | — | 1 |
| Albany County WY | 38,558 | ▲ 9.2% | 487 MW | 504 MW | — | — |
| Boulder County | 328,560 | ▲ 1.6% | 266 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Grand County | 16,496 | ▲ 5.9% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 1,211 | ▼ 4.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Laramie County WY | 102,938 | ▲ 4.9% | 746 MW | 1,485 MW | 28 | — |
| Weld County | 378,426 | ▲ 7.9% | 4,151 MW | 914 MW | — | 1 |
More of Colorado
Larimer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Larimer County, Colorado?
8 utilities have service territory in Larimer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, City of Fort Collins - (CO), Poudre Valley REA, Inc, City of Loveland - (CO). The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fort Collins, CO in?
Fort Collins is in Larimer County, Colorado. About 171,500 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Loveland, CO in?
Loveland is in Larimer County, Colorado. About 81,387 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Berthoud, CO in?
Berthoud is in Larimer County, Colorado. About 13,816 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Larimer County?
13 operating plants with 1,055 MW of capacity. The largest is Rawhide (800 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Larimer County?
225 MW across 6 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Platte River Power Authority.
Are there data centers in Larimer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Larimer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Laramie County.
Is Larimer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 171,281 jobs in 2025 against 165,816 in 2019 (+3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 11,262 to 10,846.
Does Larimer County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Larimer County, 1 in force.