Montrose County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Montrose and Olathe
Montrose 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. Construction employs 2,212, up 62.9% since 2019, and construction is 2.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Montrose County is home to Montrose, Olathe and Nucla. Next door, Mesa County has 202 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 17,492 jobs in 2025, up 12.7% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 64 Colorado counties). Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Montrose County
Montrose County is home to Montrose, Olathe and Nucla.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Redvale.
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 Montrose County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,825 | 44,591 | ▲ 4.1% | 17th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,524 | 17,492 | ▲ 12.7% | 10th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,775 | $55,553 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,358 | 2,212 | ▲ 62.9% | 2nd of 38 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 114 MW | — |
114 MW has retired here since 2019, including Nucla (coal, 114 MW, 2019). 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 228 MW of capacity, 96% of it hydro. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Montrose County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 44,591 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers Montrose County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −106 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Montrose 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% |
| Delta Montrose Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,575 | 14.97¢ | 26% |
| San Miguel Power Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,154 | 16.32¢ | 45% |
| 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 219 MW | 96% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrow Point | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 173 MW | 1970 |
| Crystal | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 28 MW | 1978 |
| Ash Mesa Solar, LLC | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2022 |
| Shavano Falls Hydro Drop 4 | Shavano Falls Hydro LLC - Drop 4 Project | Hydro | 5 MW | 2015 |
| South Canal Hydro-1 | Delta-Montrose Electric Association | Hydro | 4 MW | 2013 |
| South Canal Hydro-3 | Delta-Montrose Electric Association | Hydro | 4 MW | 2013 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nucla | Coal | 114 MW | 2019 |
The Montrose County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,492 | $55,553 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,212 | $63,050 | 2.39 |
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 Montrose County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Montrose County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Grand County, Mesa County.
Montrose County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Montrose County, Mesa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montrose County | 44,591 | ▲ 12.7% | 228 MW | — | — | — |
| Delta County | 32,178 | ▲ 2.9% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Grand County UT | 9,790 | ▲ 12.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Gunnison County | 17,439 | ▲ 8.3% | 86 MW | — | — | — |
| Mesa County | 162,845 | ▲ 5.1% | 56 MW | 202 MW | — | 1 |
| Ouray County | 5,265 | ▲ 13.0% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| San Juan County UT | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
| San Miguel County | 7,753 | ▲ 6.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
Montrose County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montrose County, Colorado?
4 utilities have service territory in Montrose County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Delta Montrose Electric Assn, San Miguel Power 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 county is Montrose, CO in?
Montrose is in Montrose County, Colorado. About 21,583 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Montrose County?
9 operating plants with 228 MW of capacity. The largest is Morrow Point (173 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Montrose County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Montrose County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mesa County.
Is Montrose County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,492 jobs in 2025 against 15,524 in 2019 (+12.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,358 to 2,212.
Does Montrose County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montrose County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.