Rio Blanco County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Meeker and Rangely
Rio Blanco 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. Rio Blanco County is home to Meeker and Rangely. Next door, Moffat County has 200 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 63% of it solar. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving Rio Blanco County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Rio Blanco County
Rio Blanco County is home to Meeker and Rangely.
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 Rio Blanco County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,522 | 6,683 | ▲ 2.5% | 46th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,865 | 2,861 | ▼ 0.1% | 50th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,343 | $64,175 | ▲ 20.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,861 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019. 6,683 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Rio Blanco County
Utilities with service territory in Rio Blanco 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% |
| Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,253 | 16.76¢ | 23% |
| White River Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,633 | 13.78¢ | 5% |
| Moon Lake Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,526 | 9.35¢ | 4% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 72% |
| Deseret Generation & Tran Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 63% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 37% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar D | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 4 MW | 2018 |
| Taylor Draw Hydroelectric Facility | Rio Blanco Water Conserv Dist | Hydro | 2 MW | 1993 |
The Rio Blanco County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,861 | $64,175 | 1.00 |
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 Rio Blanco County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rio Blanco County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Moffat County.
Rio Blanco County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Rio Blanco County, Moffat 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Blanco County | 6,683 | ▼ 0.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 63,474 | ▲ 6.0% | 82 MW | — | — | — |
| Moffat County | 13,122 | ▼ 3.1% | 1,577 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
| Routt County | 25,329 | ▲ 4.8% | 465 MW | — | — | — |
| Uintah County UT | 38,278 | ▲ 20.2% | 512 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Colorado
Rio Blanco County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rio Blanco County, Colorado?
6 utilities have service territory in Rio Blanco County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc, White River Electric Assn, Inc, Moon Lake Electric Assn Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Rio Blanco County?
2 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Bar D (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Rio Blanco County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rio Blanco County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Moffat County.
Is Rio Blanco County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,861 jobs in 2025 against 2,865 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Rio Blanco County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rio Blanco County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.