Mineral County, Nevada: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hawthorne and Mina
Mineral 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. Employers here counted 1,081 jobs in 2025, down 35.3% from 2019. Mineral County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Hawthorne, Mina, Schurz, are unincorporated and governed by the county. Unemployment was 7.0% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019. Next door, Lyon County has 1,400 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 90 MW of capacity, 56% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Mineral County
Mineral County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Hawthorne, Mina, Schurz, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hawthorne, Mina, Schurz, Walker Lake.
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 Mineral County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nevada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,554 | 4,407 | ▼ 3.2% | 13th of 17 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,672 | 1,081 | ▼ 35.3% | 17th of 17 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,330 | $56,973 | ▲ 6.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32 | 32 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 7.0% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Sierra Pacific Power Co is the largest utility serving Mineral County. Its residential customers paid an average 14.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.69¢ median for Nevada utilities. 4,407 people live here, down 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Mineral County
Utilities with service territory in Mineral 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.
Operating power plants 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 50 MW | 56% |
| Other technologies | 40 MW | 44% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luning Energy | Liberty Utilities (CalPeco Electric) LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2017 |
| Don A Campbell 1 Geothermal | ORNI 47, LLC | Other technologies | 20 MW | 2014 |
| Don A Campbell 2 Geothermal | ORNI 37 LLC | Other technologies | 20 MW | 2015 |
The Mineral County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,081 | $56,973 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 32 | $62,150 | 0.56 |
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 Mineral County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mineral County. Nevada has 11 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Nye County.
Mineral County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Mineral 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral County | 4,407 | ▼ 35.3% | 90 MW | — | — | — |
| Churchill County | 25,851 | ▲ 8.3% | 778 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Esmeralda County | 729 | ▼ 5.9% | — | 26 MW | — | — |
| Lyon County | 65,088 | ▲ 8.1% | 282 MW | 1,400 MW | — | — |
| Mono County CA | 12,505 | ▲ 8.5% | 187 MW | — | — | — |
| Nye County | 57,336 | ▲ 9.7% | 242 MW | — | — | 2 |
More of Nevada
Mineral County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mineral County, Nevada?
1 utility has service territory in Mineral 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.
What power plants are in Mineral County?
3 operating plants with 90 MW of capacity. The largest is Luning Energy (50 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Mineral County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mineral County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lyon County.
Is Mineral County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,081 jobs in 2025 against 1,672 in 2019 (-35.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 32 to 32.
Does Mineral County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mineral County. Nevada has 11 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.