San Miguel County, Colorado: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Telluride and Mountain Village
No data center or power plant project is on record in San Miguel County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. San Miguel County is home to Telluride, Mountain Village and Norwood. Electrical contractors employ 55, up 48.6% since 2019 against up 9.0% statewide, at an average $69,071 a year. Construction employs 503, up 20.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 6,079 jobs in 2025, up 6.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in San Miguel County
San Miguel County is home to Telluride, Mountain Village and Norwood.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Placerville.
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 San Miguel County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,053 | 7,753 | ▼ 3.7% | 40th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,702 | 6,079 | ▲ 6.6% | 20th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,693 | $60,516 | ▲ 41.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 416 | 503 | ▲ 20.9% | 9th of 38 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37 | 55 | ▲ 48.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Public Service Co of Colorado is the largest utility serving San Miguel County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.05¢/kWh in 2024. 7,753 people live here, down 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers San Miguel County
Utilities with service territory in San Miguel 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% |
| Empire Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,899 | 15.31¢ | 25% |
| San Miguel Power Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,154 | 16.32¢ | 45% |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames Hydro | Public Service Co of Colorado | Hydro | 4 MW | 1906 |
The San Miguel County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,079 | $60,516 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 503 | $77,676 | 1.56 |
| Electrical contractors | 55 | $69,071 | 1.25 |
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 San Miguel County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in San Miguel County. Colorado has 25 local measures on record statewide.
San Miguel County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border San Miguel County, Montrose 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguel County | 7,753 | ▲ 6.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Dolores County | 2,466 | ▼ 3.7% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Montrose County | 44,591 | ▲ 12.7% | 228 MW | — | — | — |
| Ouray County | 5,265 | ▲ 13.0% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| San Juan County | 813 | ▲ 28.2% | — | — | — | — |
| San Juan County UT | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
More of Colorado
San Miguel County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Miguel County, Colorado?
4 utilities have service territory in San Miguel County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Colorado, Empire Electric Assn, Inc, San Miguel Power Assn, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Public Service Co of Colorado, charged residential customers 15.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in San Miguel County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Ames Hydro (4 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in San Miguel County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in San Miguel County.
Is San Miguel County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,079 jobs in 2025 against 5,702 in 2019 (+6.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 416 to 503.
Does San Miguel County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Miguel County. Colorado has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.