Elko County, Nevada: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Elko, West Wendover and Carlin
No data center or power plant project is on record in Elko County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Elko County is home to Elko, West Wendover, Carlin and Wells. Next door, White Pine County has 600 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 32 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Sierra Pacific Power Co is the largest utility serving Elko County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.69¢ median for Nevada utilities. Employers here counted 22,540 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019.
Cities and towns in Elko County
Elko County is home to Elko, West Wendover, Carlin and Wells.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Jackpot, Lamoille, Montello, Mountain City, Oasis, Osino, Owyhee, Spring Creek.
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 Elko County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nevada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 53,677 | 54,815 | ▲ 2.1% | 6th of 17 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,542 | 22,540 | ● 0.0% | 14th of 17 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,802 | $66,963 | ▲ 24.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 93 | 93 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.8% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 54,815 people live here, up 2.1% since 2020, 6th of 17 Nevada counties by population.
Who powers Elko County
Utilities with service territory in Elko 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% |
| Mt Wheeler Power, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,169 | 8.50¢ | 7% |
| Wells Rural Electric Co | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,621 | 10.05¢ | 8% |
| Raft Rural Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,564 | 10.24¢ | 58% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 32 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscarora Geothermal Power Plant | Ormat Nevada Inc | Other technologies | 32 MW | 2012 |
The Elko County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 22,540 | $66,963 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 93 | $131,340 | 1.52 |
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 Elko County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Elko County. Nevada has 11 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Box Elder County, Humboldt County, White Pine County.
Elko County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Elko County, White Pine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elko County | 54,815 | ● 0.0% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Box Elder County UT | 65,320 | ▲ 14.0% | 195 MW | 8 MW | — | 2 |
| Cassia County ID | 26,397 | ▲ 8.2% | 132 MW | — | — | — |
| Eureka County | 1,867 | ▼ 0.9% | 442 MW | — | — | — |
| Humboldt County | 17,267 | ▲ 2.5% | 738 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lander County | 5,872 | ▲ 4.1% | 238 MW | 14 MW | — | — |
| Owyhee County ID | 12,661 | ▲ 8.5% | 269 MW | — | — | — |
| Tooele County UT | 87,461 | ▲ 24.3% | 162 MW | — | — | — |
| Twin Falls County ID | 97,539 | ▲ 6.9% | 598 MW | — | — | — |
| White Pine County | 8,661 | ▲ 4.4% | 150 MW | 600 MW | — | 1 |
More of Nevada
Elko County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Elko County, Nevada?
4 utilities have service territory in Elko County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Sierra Pacific Power Co, Mt Wheeler Power, Inc, Wells Rural Electric Co, Raft Rural Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Sierra Pacific Power Co, charged residential customers 14.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Elko, NV in?
Elko is in Elko County, Nevada. About 21,019 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Elko County?
1 operating plant with 32 MW of capacity. The largest is Tuscarora Geothermal Power Plant (32 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Elko County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Elko County. The nearest activity on record is next door in White Pine County.
Is Elko County adding jobs?
Employers counted 22,540 jobs in 2025 against 22,542 in 2019 (-0.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Elko County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Elko County. Nevada has 11 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.