De Baca County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lake Sumner
De Baca 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. De Baca County is home to Fort Sumner. 158 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Windy Lane Energy Center, LLC (solar), the 8th largest pipeline among New Mexico's counties. 158 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Roosevelt County has 200 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 451 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in De Baca County
De Baca County is home to Fort Sumner.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Sumner.
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 De Baca County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,687 | 1,647 | ▼ 2.4% | 32nd of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 435 | 451 | ▲ 3.7% | 11th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,664 | $45,694 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 4.8% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 158 MW | no fleet today | 8th of 14 by size |
Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving De Baca County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.16¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. 1,647 people live here, down 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers De Baca County
Utilities with service territory in De Baca County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,126 | 17.16¢ | 20% |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (NM) | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,258 | 12.87¢ | 27% |
| Roosevelt County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,918 | 12.07¢ | 5% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in De Baca County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windy Lane Energy Center | Solar Photovoltaic | 90 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Windy Lane Energy Center, LLC |
| Windy Lane Energy Center | Batteries | 68 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Windy Lane Energy Center, LLC |
The De Baca County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 451 | $45,694 | 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 De Baca County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in De Baca County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide.
De Baca County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border De Baca County, Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Baca County | 1,647 | ▲ 3.7% | — | 158 MW | — | — |
| Chaves County | 63,364 | ▲ 3.0% | 194 MW | — | — | — |
| Guadalupe County | 4,343 | ▲ 3.3% | 235 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 19,844 | ▲ 1.1% | 3,291 MW | — | — | — |
| Quay County | 8,454 | ▼ 1.1% | 409 MW | — | — | — |
| Roosevelt County | 18,615 | ▼ 0.4% | 942 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
More of New Mexico
De Baca County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in De Baca County, New Mexico?
3 utilities have service territory in De Baca County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (NM), Roosevelt County Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 17.16¢/kWh on average in 2024.
How much new power is planned in De Baca County?
158 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 158 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Windy Lane Energy Center, LLC.
Are there data centers in De Baca County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in De Baca County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Roosevelt County.
Is De Baca County adding jobs?
Employers counted 451 jobs in 2025 against 435 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does De Baca County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for De Baca County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.