Douglas County, Nevada: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Carter Springs and Double Spring
Douglas 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. Douglas County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Carter Springs, Double Spring, East Valley, are unincorporated and governed by the county. Next door, Lyon County has 1,400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 21,634 jobs in 2025, up 9.7% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 17 Nevada counties). Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. Sierra Pacific Power Co is the largest utility serving Douglas County. Its residential customers paid an average 14.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.69¢ median for Nevada utilities.
Cities and towns in Douglas County
Douglas County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Carter Springs, Double Spring, East Valley, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Carter Springs, Double Spring, East Valley, Fish Springs, Gardnerville, Gardnerville Ranchos, Genoa, Glenbrook, Indian Hills, Johnson Lane, Kingsbury, Lakeridge, Logan Creek, Minden, Round Hill Village, Ruhenstroth, Skyland, Stateline, Topaz Lake, Topaz Ranch Estates, Zephyr Cove.
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 Douglas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nevada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 49,525 | 50,111 | ▲ 1.2% | 7th of 17 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,728 | 21,634 | ▲ 9.7% | 4th of 17 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,680 | $75,166 | ▲ 54.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17 | 25 | ▲ 47.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
50,111 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020, 7th of 17 Nevada counties by population.
Who powers Douglas County
Utilities with service territory in Douglas County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Pacific Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 330,891 | 14.52¢ | 42% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Douglas County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Douglas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,634 | $75,166 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 25 | $108,370 | 0.37 |
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 Douglas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Douglas County. Nevada has 11 local measures on record statewide.
Douglas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Douglas County, Lyon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 50,111 | ▲ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Alpine County CA | 1,043 | ▲ 32.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Carson City | 58,571 | ▲ 6.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| El Dorado County CA | 192,323 | ▲ 2.3% | 779 MW | — | — | — |
| Lyon County | 65,088 | ▲ 8.1% | 282 MW | 1,400 MW | — | — |
| Mono County CA | 12,505 | ▲ 8.5% | 187 MW | — | — | — |
| Placer County CA | 442,081 | ▲ 9.1% | 773 MW | 1,023 MW | 1 | — |
More of Nevada
Douglas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Douglas County, Nevada?
1 utility has service territory in Douglas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Sierra Pacific Power Co. The largest, Sierra Pacific Power Co, charged residential customers 14.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Douglas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Douglas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lyon County.
Is Douglas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,634 jobs in 2025 against 19,728 in 2019 (+9.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Douglas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Douglas County. Nevada has 11 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.