Morgan County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Morgan, Brush and Wiggins
New generation is lining up in Morgan County. Electrical contractors employ 110, up 80.3% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $74,231 a year. Morgan County is home to Fort Morgan, Brush, Wiggins and Log Lane Village. 808 MW of new generation is planned here across 7 units, led by Fortress Solar 1 LLC (battery storage), the 3rd largest pipeline among Colorado's counties. 402 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 784, up 19.1% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Morgan County
Morgan County is home to Fort Morgan, Brush, Wiggins and Log Lane Village.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blue Sky, Jackson Lake, Morgan Heights, Orchard, Saddle Ridge, Snyder, Trail Side, Weldona.
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 Morgan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,080 | 30,306 | ▲ 4.2% | 21st of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,653 | 13,229 | ▲ 4.6% | 33rd of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,691 | $58,024 | ▲ 24.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 658 | 784 | ▲ 19.1% | 11th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 61 | 110 | ▲ 80.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 17 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 24 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 808 MW | 71% of today's fleet | 3rd of 18 by size |
Its power plants have 1,145 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Colorado. 24 MW has retired here since 2019, including Brush Generation Facility (natural gas, 24 MW, 2024). 17 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 13,229 jobs in 2025, up 4.6% from 2019. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Morgan County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 30,306 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Morgan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Morgan 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 Morgan | Municipal | Bundled | 5,999 | 6.97¢ | 47% |
| Morgan County Rural Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,825 | 14.37¢ | 54% |
| Highline Electric Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,047 | 14.12¢ | 14% |
| 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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,129 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 17 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pawnee | Public Service Co of Colorado | Natural gas | 552 MW | 1981 |
| Manchief Electric Generating Station | Public Service Co of Colorado | Natural gas | 300 MW | 2000 |
| Brush Generation Facility | Brush Power LLC | Natural gas | 273 MW | 1990 |
| Pivot Solar 32 | Pivot Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Pivot Solar 52 | Pivot Energy | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |
| Fort Morgan Solar | SE Municipal Colorado, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 7
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Platte Storage | Batteries | 250 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | South Platte Storage, LLC |
| Fortress 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 199 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Fortress Solar 1 LLC |
| South Platte Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | South Platte Solar |
| Fortress 1 | Batteries | 150 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Fortress Solar 1 LLC |
| Fortress 1 | Batteries | 50 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Fortress Solar 1 LLC |
| Raceway Solar - (CO) | Solar Photovoltaic | 7 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Raceway Solar, LLC |
| Pivot Solar 71 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brush Generation Facility | Natural gas | 24 MW | 2024 |
The Morgan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,229 | $58,024 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 784 | $76,227 | 1.12 |
| Electrical contractors | 110 | $74,231 | 1.15 |
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 Morgan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Morgan County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Logan County, Weld County.
Morgan County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Morgan County, Weld 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 30,306 | ▲ 4.6% | 1,145 MW | 808 MW | — | — |
| Adams County | 554,668 | ▲ 10.6% | 1,767 MW | 8 MW | 4 | — |
| Logan County | 20,654 | ▼ 1.8% | 1,016 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Washington County | 4,732 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Weld County | 378,426 | ▲ 7.9% | 4,151 MW | 914 MW | — | 1 |
More of Colorado
Morgan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Morgan County, Colorado?
5 utilities have service territory in Morgan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, City of Fort Morgan, Morgan County Rural Elec Assn, Highline Electric Assn. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fort Morgan, CO in?
Fort Morgan is in Morgan County, Colorado. About 11,841 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Morgan County?
10 operating plants with 1,145 MW of capacity. The largest is Pawnee (552 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Morgan County?
808 MW across 7 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 402 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Fortress Solar 1 LLC.
Are there data centers in Morgan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Morgan County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Weld County.
Is Morgan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,229 jobs in 2025 against 12,653 in 2019 (+4.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 658 to 784.
Does Morgan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Morgan County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.