White Pine County, Nevada: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ely
White Pine County is a generation frontier for Nevada. Electrical contractors employ 53, up 278.6% since 2019 against up 26.2% statewide, at an average $90,898 a year. White Pine County is home to Ely. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through January 18, 2027”. 600 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Repsol Renewables NA (battery storage), the 3rd largest pipeline among Nevada's counties. Employers here counted 4,431 jobs in 2025, up 4.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in White Pine County
White Pine County is home to Ely.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baker, Lund, McGill, Preston, Ruth.
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 White Pine County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nevada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,068 | 8,661 | ▼ 4.5% | 10th of 17 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,244 | 4,431 | ▲ 4.4% | 11th of 17 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $59,098 | $80,385 | ▲ 36.0% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14 | 53 | ▲ 278.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 600 MW | 400% of today's fleet | 3rd of 7 by size |
Its power plants have 150 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Mt Wheeler Power, Inc is the largest utility serving White Pine County. Its residential customers paid an average 8.50¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.69¢ median for Nevada utilities. 8,661 people live here, down 4.5% since 2020, 10th of 17 Nevada counties by population. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Who powers White Pine County
Utilities with service territory in White Pine County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 150 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Valley Wind Project | Pattern Operators LP | Wind | 150 MW | 2012 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson Solar | Batteries | 300 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Repsol Renewables NA |
| Robinson Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 300 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Repsol Renewables NA |
The White Pine County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,431 | $80,385 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 53 | $90,898 | 1.66 |
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 White Pine County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through January 18, 2027 | In force | 2026-07 |
White Pine County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border White Pine County, Millard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Pine County | 8,661 | ▲ 4.4% | 150 MW | 600 MW | — | 1 |
| Elko County | 54,815 | ● 0.0% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Eureka County | 1,867 | ▼ 0.9% | 442 MW | — | — | — |
| Juab County UT | 13,567 | ▲ 23.0% | 647 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 4,320 | ▲ 6.1% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Millard County UT | 14,057 | ▲ 12.7% | 1,213 MW | 2,074 MW | — | — |
| Nye County | 57,336 | ▲ 9.7% | 242 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Tooele County UT | 87,461 | ▲ 24.3% | 162 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nevada
White Pine County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in White Pine County, Nevada?
1 utility has service territory in White Pine County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mt Wheeler Power, Inc. The largest, Mt Wheeler Power, Inc, charged residential customers 8.50¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in White Pine County?
1 operating plant with 150 MW of capacity. The largest is Spring Valley Wind Project (150 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in White Pine County?
600 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Repsol Renewables NA.
Are there data centers in White Pine County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in White Pine County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Millard County.
Is White Pine County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,431 jobs in 2025 against 4,244 in 2019 (+4.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does White Pine County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for White Pine County, 1 in force.