Las Animas County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Trinidad
Las Animas County is a generation frontier for Colorado. Unemployment was 6.9% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Las Animas County is home to Trinidad. 202 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Cypress Creek Renewables (solar), the 10th largest pipeline among Colorado's counties. Construction employs 150, down 9.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 4,634 jobs in 2025, down 7.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Las Animas County
Las Animas County is home to Trinidad.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): El Moro, Hoehne, Jansen, Lynn, Segundo, Stonewall Gap, Valdez, Weston.
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 Las Animas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,491 | 14,391 | ▼ 0.7% | 33rd of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,017 | 4,634 | ▼ 7.6% | 63rd of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,521 | $46,821 | ▲ 21.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 166 | 150 | ▼ 9.6% | 33rd of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29 | 19 | ▼ 34.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 6.9% | ▲ 3.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 140 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 202 MW | 113% of today's fleet | 10th of 18 by size |
140 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 179 MW of capacity, 95% of it solar. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Las Animas County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 14,391 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 19, down 34.5% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $52,764 a year.
Who powers Las Animas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +140 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Las Animas 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% |
| San Isabel Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,289 | 17.78¢ | 21% |
| Southeast Colorado Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,148 | 17.22¢ | 55% |
| Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (NM) | Cooperative | Bundled | 5 | 19.90¢ | 21% |
| City of Trinidad - (CO) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 170 MW | 95% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 3% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Peaks Solar | Spanish Peaks Solar LLC | Solar | 140 MW | 2024 |
| San Isabel Solar, LLC | San Isabel Solar, LLC | Solar | 30 MW | 2016 |
| Trinidad (CO) | City of Trinidad - (CO) | Petroleum | 9 MW | 1966 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Run | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Trinidad Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Clay Creek Energy, LLC |
The Las Animas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,634 | $46,821 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 150 | $48,869 | 0.61 |
| Electrical contractors | 19 | $52,764 | 0.57 |
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 Las Animas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Las Animas County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Colfax County.
Las Animas County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Las Animas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Animas County | 14,391 | ▼ 7.6% | 179 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Baca County | 3,347 | ▲ 4.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Bent County | 5,716 | ▲ 4.5% | 81 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Colfax County NM | 12,184 | ▼ 6.6% | 44 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Costilla County | 3,679 | ▼ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Huerfano County | 7,011 | ▲ 9.5% | 157 MW | — | — | — |
| Otero County | 17,683 | ▼ 2.2% | 12 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Pueblo County | 169,277 | ▼ 1.1% | 3,613 MW | 1,418 MW | — | — |
| Union County NM | 3,844 | ▼ 8.9% | — | 190 MW | — | — |
More of Colorado
Las Animas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Las Animas County, Colorado?
5 utilities have service territory in Las Animas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, San Isabel Electric Assn, Inc, Southeast Colorado Power Assn, Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (NM). The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Las Animas County?
3 operating plants with 179 MW of capacity. The largest is Spanish Peaks Solar (140 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Las Animas County?
202 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cypress Creek Renewables.
Are there data centers in Las Animas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Las Animas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pueblo County.
Is Las Animas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,634 jobs in 2025 against 5,017 in 2019 (-7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 166 to 150.
Does Las Animas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Las Animas County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.