Otero County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to La Junta, Rocky Ford and Fowler
No data center or power plant project is on record in Otero County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Otero County is home to La Junta, Rocky Ford, Fowler and Swink. Electrical contractors employ 18, up 50.0% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $45,018 a year. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Clay Creek Energy, LLC (solar). Unemployment was 6.3% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. Next door, Pueblo County has 1,418 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Otero County
Otero County is home to La Junta, Rocky Ford, Fowler and Swink.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): La Junta Gardens, North La Junta.
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 Otero County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,659 | 17,683 | ▼ 5.2% | 28th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,165 | 6,030 | ▼ 2.2% | 57th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,641 | $48,661 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 219 | 188 | ▼ 14.2% | 36th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12 | 18 | ▲ 50.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 6.3% | ▲ 2.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 17 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 42% of today's fleet | 16th of 18 by size |
Construction employs 188, down 14.2% since 2019. 17 MW has retired here since 2019, including La Junta (petroleum, 17 MW, 2020). Owners plan to retire 10 MW more by 2035, led by Rocky Ford in 2029. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 12 MW of capacity, 87% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 6,030 jobs in 2025, down 2.2% from 2019. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Otero County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 17,683 people live here, down 5.2% since 2020.
Who powers Otero County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −16 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Otero 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% |
| Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 89,252 | 17.05¢ | 47% |
| San Isabel Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,289 | 17.78¢ | 21% |
| Southeast Colorado Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,148 | 17.22¢ | 55% |
| City of La Junta - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 87% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 13% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ford | Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1964 |
| BH CSG 3 | Pivot Energy | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Junta Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Clay Creek Energy, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Junta | Petroleum | 17 MW | 2020 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ford | Petroleum | 10 MW | 2029 |
The Otero County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,030 | $48,661 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 188 | $54,300 | 0.59 |
| Electrical contractors | 18 | $45,018 | 0.41 |
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 Otero County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Otero County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Kiowa County.
Otero County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Otero 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otero County | 17,683 | ▼ 2.2% | 12 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Bent County | 5,716 | ▲ 4.5% | 81 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Crowley County | 5,677 | ▲ 3.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Kiowa County | 1,412 | ▲ 0.2% | — | 300 MW | — | 1 |
| Las Animas County | 14,391 | ▼ 7.6% | 179 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Pueblo County | 169,277 | ▼ 1.1% | 3,613 MW | 1,418 MW | — | — |
More of Colorado
Otero County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Otero County, Colorado?
5 utilities have service territory in Otero County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC, San Isabel Electric Assn, Inc, Southeast Colorado Power Assn. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Otero County?
2 operating plants with 12 MW of capacity. The largest is Rocky Ford (10 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Otero County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Clay Creek Energy, LLC.
Are there data centers in Otero County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Otero County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pueblo County.
Is Otero County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,030 jobs in 2025 against 6,165 in 2019 (-2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 219 to 188.
Does Otero County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Otero County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.