Colfax County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Raton and Angel Fire
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Colfax County. Colfax County is home to Raton, Angel Fire, Springer and Cimarron. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year moratorium on new data center projects”. Employers here counted 4,228 jobs in 2025, down 6.6% from 2019. 11 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Colfax County
Colfax County is home to Raton, Angel Fire, Springer and Cimarron.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ute Park.
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 Colfax County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,354 | 12,184 | ▼ 1.4% | 24th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,529 | 4,228 | ▼ 6.6% | 30th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,365 | $44,900 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 11 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 44 MW of capacity, 92% of it solar. Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Colfax County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 18.18¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. 12,184 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Colfax County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +11 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Colfax County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,097 | 18.18¢ | 39% |
| Springer Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,453 | 19.01¢ | 10% |
| Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (NM) | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,434 | 24.09¢ | 3% |
| Raton Public Service Company | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Springer - (NM) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 40 MW | 92% |
| Battery storage | 4 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cimarron Solar Facility | Southern Power Co | Solar | 31 MW | 2010 |
| Angel Fire Energy Facility | Angel Fire Energy Facility, LLC | Battery storage | 11 MW | 2023 |
| Springer Solar 1 | Springer Electric Coop, Inc | Solar | 1 MW | 2015 |
| Syncarpha Eagle Nest | Syncarpha Eagle Nest I, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2018 |
The Colfax County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,228 | $44,900 | 1.00 |
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 Colfax County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year moratorium on new data center projects | In force | 2026-08 |
Colfax County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Colfax County, Las Animas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax County | 12,184 | ▼ 6.6% | 44 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Costilla County CO | 3,679 | ▼ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Harding County | 617 | ▲ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Las Animas County CO | 14,391 | ▼ 7.6% | 179 MW | 202 MW | — | — |
| Mora County | 4,051 | ▼ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Taos County | 34,564 | ▲ 0.8% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 3,844 | ▼ 8.9% | — | 190 MW | — | — |
More of New Mexico
Colfax County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Colfax County, New Mexico?
5 utilities have service territory in Colfax County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc, Springer Electric Coop, Inc, Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (NM), Raton Public Service Company. The largest, Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 18.18¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Colfax County?
4 operating plants with 44 MW of capacity. The largest is Cimarron Solar Facility (31 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Colfax County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Colfax County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Las Animas County.
Is Colfax County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,228 jobs in 2025 against 4,529 in 2019 (-6.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Colfax County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Colfax County, 1 in force.