Pueblo County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pueblo
New generation is lining up in Pueblo County. 1,418 MW of new generation is planned here across 7 units, led by Mirasol Energy Center, LLC (solar), the largest pipeline among Colorado's counties. 338 MW of it is already under construction or built. Pueblo County is home to Pueblo. Owners plan to retire 1,263 MW more by 2035, led by Comanche (CO) in 2030. 1,786 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 6.6% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Pueblo County
Pueblo County is home to Pueblo.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Avondale, Beulah Valley, Blende, Colorado City, Pueblo West, Salt Creek, Vineland.
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 Pueblo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 168,334 | 169,277 | ▲ 0.6% | 10th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62,254 | 61,592 | ▼ 1.1% | 52nd of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,111 | $58,133 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 488 | 571 | ▲ 17.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 311 | 469 | ▲ 50.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 349 | 333 | ▼ 4.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 6.6% | ▲ 2.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,786 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 390 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,418 MW | 39% of today's fleet | 1st of 18 by size |
Its power plants have 3,613 MW of capacity, 41% of it solar, the 2nd largest fleet in Colorado. 390 MW has retired here since 2019, including Comanche (CO) (coal, 382 MW, 2022). Electrical contractors employ 571, up 17.0% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $68,717 a year. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Pueblo County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 61,592 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019. 169,277 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020, 10th of 64 Colorado counties by population.
Who powers Pueblo County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,396 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pueblo 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% |
| Mountain View Elec Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 59,789 | 15.52¢ | 20% |
| San Isabel Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,289 | 17.78¢ | 21% |
| Southeast Colorado Power Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,148 | 17.22¢ | 55% |
| 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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1,476 MW | 41% |
| Coal | 1,253 MW | 35% |
| Natural gas | 440 MW | 12% |
| Battery storage | 425 MW | 12% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 0% |
| Hydro | 8 MW | 0% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comanche (CO) | Public Service Co of Colorado | Coal | 1,253 MW | 1975 |
| Rocky Mountain Solar | Public Service Co of Colorado | Battery storage | 525 MW | 2025 |
| Neptune Energy Center Hybrid | Neptune Energy Center, LLC | Battery storage | 450 MW | 2023 |
| Pueblo Airport Generating Station | Black Hills Service Company LLC | Natural gas | 440 MW | 2012 |
| Thunder Wolf Energy Center Hybrid | Thunder Wolf Energy Center, LLC | Battery storage | 348 MW | 2023 |
| Bighorn Solar 1 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 240 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 7
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mirasol Energy Center, LLC. | Solar Photovoltaic | 400 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Mirasol Energy Center, LLC |
| Arroyo Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 335 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Public Service Co of Colorado |
| Stagecoach LRE | Solar Photovoltaic | 230 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Leeward Asset Management, LLC |
| Turkey Creek Solar Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | 174 Power Global Corp. |
| Thunder Wolf II, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Thunder Wolf II, LLC |
| Pueblo Airport Generating Station | Batteries | 50 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Black Hills Service Company LLC |
| Waxwing Solar CSG | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Waxwing Solar |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comanche (CO) | Coal | 382 MW | 2022 |
| Pueblo | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comanche (CO) | Coal | 857 MW | 2030 |
| Comanche (CO) | Coal | 396 MW | 2026 |
| Airport Industrial | Petroleum | 10 MW | 2033 |
The Pueblo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 61,592 | $58,133 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 571 | $68,717 | 1.29 |
| Power and communication line construction | 469 | $98,074 | 4.71 |
| Electric utilities | 333 | $130,716 | 2.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 43 | $47,639 | 0.22 |
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 Pueblo County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pueblo County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Pueblo County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Pueblo County, El Paso 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pueblo County | 169,277 | ▼ 1.1% | 3,613 MW | 1,418 MW | — | — |
| Crowley County | 5,677 | ▲ 3.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Custer County | 5,590 | ▲ 28.5% | — | — | — | — |
| El Paso County | 757,040 | ▲ 8.7% | 1,987 MW | 580 MW | 10 | — |
| Fremont County | 50,039 | ▲ 6.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Huerfano County | 7,011 | ▲ 9.5% | 157 MW | — | — | — |
| Las Animas County | 14,391 | ▼ 7.6% | 179 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 5,645 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,007 MW | — | — | — |
| Otero County | 17,683 | ▼ 2.2% | 12 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of Colorado
Pueblo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pueblo County, Colorado?
6 utilities have service territory in Pueblo County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Black Hills Colorado Electric, LLC, Mountain View Elec Assn, Inc, San Isabel Electric Assn, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pueblo, CO in?
Pueblo is in Pueblo County, Colorado. About 110,404 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pueblo County?
16 operating plants with 3,613 MW of capacity. The largest is Comanche (CO) (1,253 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Pueblo County?
1,418 MW across 7 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 338 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Mirasol Energy Center, LLC.
Are there data centers in Pueblo County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pueblo County. The nearest activity on record is next door in El Paso County.
Is Pueblo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 61,592 jobs in 2025 against 62,254 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pueblo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pueblo County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.