Power County, Idaho: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to American Falls
Power 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. Power County is home to American Falls. Employers here counted 3,919 jobs in 2025, up 17.3% from 2019. Its power plants have 257 MW of capacity, 48% of it wind. Idaho Power Co is the largest utility serving Power County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.76¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.00¢ median for Idaho utilities. 8,246 people live here, up 4.6% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Power County
Power County is home to American Falls.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arbon Valley.
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 Power County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Idaho |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,880 | 8,246 | ▲ 4.6% | 34th of 44 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,341 | 3,919 | ▲ 17.3% | 11th of 44 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,183 | $57,901 | ▲ 34.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41 | 76 | ▲ 85.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.8% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Who powers Power County
Utilities with service territory in Power County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 525,751 | 11.76¢ | 27% |
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 74,170 | 12.11¢ | 16% |
| Raft Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,391 | 9.18¢ | 30% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | — | — | — | — | — |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 124 MW | 48% |
| Hydro | 92 MW | 36% |
| Solar | 40 MW | 16% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Falls | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 92 MW | 1978 |
| Rockland Wind Farm | Ridgeline Energy LLC | Wind | 79 MW | 2011 |
| Power County Wind Park North | Power County Wind Park North LLC | Wind | 22 MW | 2011 |
| Power County Wind Park South | Power County Wind Park South LLC | Wind | 22 MW | 2011 |
| American Falls Solar | American Falls Solar LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2017 |
| American Falls Solar II | American Falls Solar II, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2017 |
The Power County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,919 | $57,901 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 76 | $54,386 | 0.37 |
| Electric utilities | 21 | $161,076 | 1.98 |
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 Power County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Power County. Idaho has 4 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Bannock County.
Power County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Power County, Bingham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power County | 8,246 | ▲ 17.3% | 257 MW | — | — | — |
| Bannock County | 91,591 | ▲ 10.8% | 21 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bingham County | 51,153 | ▲ 7.0% | 160 MW | — | — | — |
| Blaine County | 25,517 | ▲ 11.8% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Cassia County | 26,397 | ▲ 8.2% | 132 MW | — | — | — |
| Oneida County | 5,085 | ▲ 33.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Idaho
Power County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Power County, Idaho?
4 utilities have service territory in Power County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Idaho Power Co, PacifiCorp, Raft Rural Elec Coop Inc, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, Idaho Power Co, charged residential customers 11.76¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Power County?
6 operating plants with 257 MW of capacity. The largest is American Falls (92 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Power County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Power County.
Is Power County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,919 jobs in 2025 against 3,341 in 2019 (+17.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 41 to 76.
Does Power County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Power County. Idaho has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.