Gray County, Kansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cimarron Township, Cimarron and Montezuma Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Gray County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Gray County is home to Cimarron Township, Cimarron, Montezuma Township and Montezuma. Next door, Ford County has 327 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 272, up 1.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 508 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Gray County
Gray County is home to Cimarron Township, Cimarron, Montezuma Township and Montezuma.
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 Gray County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,644 | 5,652 | ▲ 0.1% | 60th of 105 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,086 | 3,041 | ▼ 1.5% | 61st of 105 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,096 | $53,843 | ▲ 34.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 269 | 272 | ▲ 1.1% | 37th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.0% | 3.3% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Gray County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 3,041 jobs in 2025, down 1.5% from 2019. 5,652 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Gray County
Utilities with service territory in Gray County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,118 | 13.97¢ | 63% |
| Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,243 | 11.86¢ | 26% |
| Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,031 | 11.19¢ | 34% |
| CMS Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,198 | 18.72¢ | 46% |
| City of Cimarron - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Montezuma - (KS) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 508 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cimarron Wind Energy LLC | Cimarron Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 166 MW | 2012 |
| Cimarron Windpower II | Deriva Energy | Wind | 131 MW | 2012 |
| Gray County Wind Energy | Gray County Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 112 MW | 2001 |
| Ensign Wind LLC | NextEra Energy Resources Ensign Wind | Wind | 99 MW | 2012 |
The Gray County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,041 | $53,843 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 272 | $83,298 | 1.69 |
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 Gray County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gray County. Kansas has 24 local measures on record statewide.
Gray County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Gray County, Ford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray County | 5,652 | ▼ 1.5% | 508 MW | — | — | — |
| Finney County | 37,505 | ▲ 5.1% | 635 MW | — | — | — |
| Ford County | 33,993 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,480 MW | 327 MW | — | — |
| Haskell County | 3,599 | ▲ 3.8% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Hodgeman County | 1,619 | ▲ 3.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Meade County | 3,852 | ▲ 1.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kansas
Gray County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gray County, Kansas?
6 utilities have service territory in Gray County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc, Victory Electric Coop Assn Inc, Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (KS), CMS Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Wheatland Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Gray County?
4 operating plants with 508 MW of capacity. The largest is Cimarron Wind Energy LLC (166 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Gray County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gray County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Ford County.
Is Gray County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,041 jobs in 2025 against 3,086 in 2019 (-1.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 269 to 272.
Does Gray County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gray County. Kansas has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.