Pitkin County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Aspen, Snowmass Village and Basalt
Pitkin 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. Pitkin County is home to Aspen, Snowmass Village and part of Basalt (1,084 of its 4,009 residents). Next door, Mesa County has 202 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 758, up 13.8% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 99, up 13.8% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $90,516 a year. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Pitkin County
Pitkin County is home to Aspen, Snowmass Village and part of Basalt (1,084 of its 4,009 residents).
- Basalt also extends into Eagle County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Norrie, Redstone, Woody Creek.
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 Pitkin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,363 | 16,625 | ▼ 4.3% | 31st of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,801 | 17,751 | ▲ 5.7% | 26th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,622 | $82,509 | ▲ 51.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 666 | 758 | ▲ 13.8% | 15th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 87 | 99 | ▲ 13.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 17,751 jobs in 2025, up 5.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Pitkin County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 16,625 people live here, down 4.3% since 2020.
Who powers Pitkin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pitkin 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% |
| Holy Cross Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,982 | 12.04¢ | 41% |
| City of Aspen- (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitkin County Solar | Coolangatta Solar LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
The Pitkin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,751 | $82,509 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 758 | $105,814 | 0.81 |
| Electrical contractors | 99 | $90,516 | 0.77 |
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 Pitkin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pitkin County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Mesa County.
Pitkin County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pitkin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitkin County | 16,625 | ▲ 5.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Chaffee County | 20,831 | ▲ 13.2% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Eagle County | 54,291 | ▲ 4.9% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 63,474 | ▲ 6.0% | 82 MW | — | — | — |
| Gunnison County | 17,439 | ▲ 8.3% | 86 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 7,552 | ▲ 22.0% | 202 MW | — | — | — |
| Mesa County | 162,845 | ▲ 5.1% | 56 MW | 202 MW | — | 1 |
More of Colorado
Pitkin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pitkin County, Colorado?
3 utilities have service territory in Pitkin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Holy Cross Electric Assn, Inc, City of Aspen- (CO). The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pitkin County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Pitkin County Solar (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Pitkin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pitkin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mesa County.
Is Pitkin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,751 jobs in 2025 against 16,801 in 2019 (+5.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 666 to 758.
Does Pitkin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pitkin County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.