Montezuma County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cortez and Mancos
New generation is lining up in Montezuma County. Montezuma County is home to Cortez, Mancos and Dolores. 140 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Canyonland Solar LLC (solar). Construction employs 436, up 17.8% since 2019. 9 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Montezuma County
Montezuma County is home to Cortez, Mancos and Dolores.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lewis, Towaoc.
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 Montezuma County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,890 | 26,678 | ▲ 3.0% | 22nd of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,220 | 9,321 | ▲ 1.1% | 47th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,225 | $48,248 | ▲ 29.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 370 | 436 | ▲ 17.8% | 13th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52 | 43 | ▼ 17.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 9 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 140 MW | 642% of today's fleet | 12th of 18 by size |
Its power plants have 22 MW of capacity, 58% of it hydro. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Montezuma County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 9,321 jobs in 2025, up 1.1% from 2019. 26,678 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 43, down 17.3% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $42,307 a year.
Who powers Montezuma County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Montezuma 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% |
| Empire Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,899 | 15.31¢ | 25% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 13 MW | 58% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 42% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towaoc | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 11 MW | 1993 |
| Cortez Solar 2, LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
| Cortez Solar 1, LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2022 |
| Cortez Solar 3, LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| McPhee | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 1 MW | 1992 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canyonland Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 140 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Canyonland Solar LLC |
The Montezuma County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,321 | $48,248 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 436 | $48,786 | 0.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 43 | $42,307 | 0.64 |
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 Montezuma County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Montezuma County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Montezuma County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Montezuma County, San Juan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montezuma County | 26,678 | ▲ 1.1% | 22 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Apache County AZ | 64,445 | ▼ 5.0% | 2,604 MW | — | — | — |
| Dolores County | 2,466 | ▼ 3.7% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| La Plata County | 56,898 | ▲ 4.5% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| San Juan County | 813 | ▲ 28.2% | — | — | — | — |
| San Juan County NM | 120,340 | ▲ 2.4% | 2,052 MW | 1,729 MW | — | — |
| San Juan County UT | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Montezuma County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montezuma County, Colorado?
3 utilities have service territory in Montezuma County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Empire Electric 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 Montezuma County?
5 operating plants with 22 MW of capacity. The largest is Towaoc (11 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Montezuma County?
140 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Canyonland Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Montezuma County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Montezuma County. The nearest activity on record is next door in San Juan County.
Is Montezuma County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,321 jobs in 2025 against 9,220 in 2019 (+1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 370 to 436.
Does Montezuma County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montezuma County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.