Lincoln County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Limon
Lincoln County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Lincoln County is home to Limon and Hugo. Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Next door, Pueblo County has 1,418 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,007 MW of capacity, 85% of it wind, the 10th largest fleet in Colorado. Mountain View Elec Assn, Inc is the largest utility serving Lincoln County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.15¢ median for Colorado utilities.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
Lincoln County is home to Limon and Hugo.
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 Lincoln County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,666 | 5,645 | ▼ 0.4% | 50th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,215 | 2,190 | ▼ 1.1% | 53rd of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,281 | $54,996 | ▲ 36.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 5.7% | ▲ 2.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,190 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019. 5,645 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Lincoln County
Utilities with service territory in Lincoln County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View Elec Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 59,789 | 15.52¢ | 20% |
| Southeast Colorado Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,148 | 17.22¢ | 55% |
| K C Electric Association | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,404 | 13.09¢ | 51% |
| 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 853 MW | 85% |
| Natural gas | 154 MW | 15% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Point Wind | Cedar Point LLC | Wind | 252 MW | 2011 |
| Limon III Wind LLC | Limon | Wind | 201 MW | 2014 |
| Limon Wind I | Limon | Wind | 200 MW | 2012 |
| Limon Wind II | Limon | Wind | 200 MW | 2012 |
| Limon Generating Station | Tri-State G & T Assn, Inc | Natural gas | 154 MW | 2002 |
The Lincoln County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,190 | $54,996 | 1.00 |
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 Lincoln County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lincoln County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Kiowa County.
Lincoln County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 5,645 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,007 MW | — | — | — |
| Arapahoe County | 673,820 | ▲ 1.8% | 336 MW | — | 17 | — |
| Cheyenne County | 1,713 | ▲ 2.1% | 498 MW | 688 MW | — | — |
| Crowley County | 5,677 | ▲ 3.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| El Paso County | 757,040 | ▲ 8.7% | 1,987 MW | 580 MW | 10 | — |
| Elbert County | 30,534 | ▲ 34.4% | 600 MW | 125 MW | — | — |
| Kiowa County | 1,412 | ▲ 0.2% | — | 300 MW | — | 1 |
| Kit Carson County | 7,069 | ▲ 6.4% | 1,436 MW | 753 MW | — | — |
| Pueblo County | 169,277 | ▼ 1.1% | 3,613 MW | 1,418 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 4,732 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Lincoln County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lincoln County, Colorado?
4 utilities have service territory in Lincoln County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mountain View Elec Assn, Inc, Southeast Colorado Power Assn, K C Electric Association, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Mountain View Elec Assn, Inc, charged residential customers 15.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lincoln County?
5 operating plants with 1,007 MW of capacity. The largest is Cedar Point Wind (252 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Lincoln County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lincoln County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pueblo County.
Is Lincoln County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,190 jobs in 2025 against 2,215 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lincoln County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.