Nye County, Nevada: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Amargosa Valley and Beatty
Nye County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Nye County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Gabbs, are unincorporated and governed by the county. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Ban on data centers in Pahrump Valley / Basin 162”. Employers here counted 13,712 jobs in 2025, up 9.7% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 17 Nevada counties). Construction employs 744, down 1.7% since 2019. 104 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Nye County
Nye County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Gabbs, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Amargosa Valley, Beatty, Gabbs, Pahrump, Tonopah.
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 Nye County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nevada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 51,986 | 57,336 | ▲ 10.3% | 5th of 17 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,505 | 13,712 | ▲ 9.7% | 5th of 17 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,295 | $73,081 | ▲ 39.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 757 | 744 | ▼ 1.7% | 6th of 7 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 5.7% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 104 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 242 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar, the 9th largest fleet in Nevada. 57,336 people live here, up 10.3% since 2020, 5th of 17 Nevada counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 84, at an average $50,474 a year. Nevada Power Co is the largest utility serving Nye County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.33¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.69¢ median for Nevada utilities. Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019.
Who powers Nye County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +104 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Nye County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 916,385 | 15.33¢ | 26% |
| Sierra Pacific Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 330,891 | 14.52¢ | 42% |
| Valley Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,368 | 16.73¢ | 40% |
| Mt Wheeler Power, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,169 | 8.50¢ | 7% |
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 | 242 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crescent Dunes Solar Energy | Tonopah Energy Center LLC | Solar | 125 MW | 2015 |
| Sunshine Valley Solar | EDP Renewables North America LLC | Solar | 104 MW | 2019 |
| MDU / NVSS-II | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 14 MW | 2017 |
The Nye County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,712 | $73,081 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 744 | $58,880 | 1.02 |
| Electrical contractors | 84 | $50,474 | 0.85 |
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 Nye County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban on data centers in Pahrump Valley / Basin 162 | In force | 2026-08 | |
| Local moratorium on data centers with no end date | In force | 2026-08 |
Nye County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Nye County, Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nye County | 57,336 | ▲ 9.7% | 242 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Churchill County | 25,851 | ▲ 8.3% | 778 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Clark County | 2,407,226 | ▲ 11.4% | 14,194 MW | 4,230 MW | 28 | — |
| Esmeralda County | 729 | ▼ 5.9% | — | 26 MW | — | — |
| Eureka County | 1,867 | ▼ 0.9% | 442 MW | — | — | — |
| Inyo County CA | 18,158 | ▼ 0.6% | 465 MW | 1,000 MW | — | — |
| Lander County | 5,872 | ▲ 4.1% | 238 MW | 14 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 4,320 | ▲ 6.1% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Mineral County | 4,407 | ▼ 35.3% | 90 MW | — | — | — |
| White Pine County | 8,661 | ▲ 4.4% | 150 MW | 600 MW | — | 1 |
More of Nevada
Nye County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nye County, Nevada?
4 utilities have service territory in Nye County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nevada Power Co, Sierra Pacific Power Co, Valley Electric Assn, Inc, Mt Wheeler Power, Inc. The largest, Nevada Power Co, charged residential customers 15.33¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Nye County?
3 operating plants with 242 MW of capacity. The largest is Crescent Dunes Solar Energy (125 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Nye County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nye County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clark County.
Is Nye County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,712 jobs in 2025 against 12,505 in 2019 (+9.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 757 to 744.
Does Nye County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Nye County, 2 in force.