Eddy County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Carlsbad, Artesia and Loving
Eddy County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Eddy County is home to Carlsbad, Artesia and Loving. Construction employs 3,506, down 7.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Lea County has 721 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 453, up 26.5% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $88,996 a year. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Eddy County
Eddy County is home to Carlsbad, Artesia and Loving.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Atoka, Happy Valley, La Huerta, Livingston Wheeler, Loco Hills, Malaga, Morningside, Whites City.
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 Eddy County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 62,344 | 62,509 | ▲ 0.3% | 11th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33,483 | 34,421 | ▲ 2.8% | 15th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $64,313 | $79,501 | ▲ 23.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,781 | 3,506 | ▼ 7.3% | 18th of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 358 | 453 | ▲ 26.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.5% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 30 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 34,421 jobs in 2025, up 2.8% from 2019. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Eddy County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.98¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 62,509 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Eddy County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Eddy County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 100,540 | 11.98¢ | 24% |
| Lea County Electric Coop, Inc - (NM) | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,217 | 10.07¢ | 45% |
| Central Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,150 | 8.91¢ | 5% |
| Rio Grande Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 232 | 18.30¢ | 18% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 30 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hayhurst New Mexico Solar | Hayhurst New Mexico Solar | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| SPS5 Hopi | SunE SPS5, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2011 |
The Eddy County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 34,421 | $79,501 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,506 | $78,072 | 1.92 |
| Electrical contractors | 453 | $88,996 | 1.82 |
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 Eddy County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Eddy County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide.
Eddy County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Eddy County, Lea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy County | 62,509 | ▲ 2.8% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Chaves County | 63,364 | ▲ 3.0% | 194 MW | — | — | — |
| Culberson County TX | 2,267 | ▲ 33.0% | 492 MW | 36 MW | — | — |
| Lea County | 74,749 | ▲ 3.1% | 1,844 MW | 721 MW | — | — |
| Loving County TX | 52 | ▲ 302.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Otero County | 70,368 | ▲ 0.8% | 193 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Reeves County TX | 12,138 | ▼ 13.0% | 621 MW | 320 MW | 5 | — |
More of New Mexico
Eddy County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Eddy County, New Mexico?
4 utilities have service territory in Eddy County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Lea County Electric Coop, Inc - (NM), Central Valley Elec Coop, Inc, Rio Grande Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 11.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Carlsbad, NM in?
Carlsbad is in Eddy County, New Mexico. About 32,524 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Artesia, NM in?
Artesia is in Eddy County, New Mexico. About 12,735 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Eddy County?
2 operating plants with 30 MW of capacity. The largest is Hayhurst New Mexico Solar (20 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Eddy County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Eddy County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lea County.
Is Eddy County adding jobs?
Employers counted 34,421 jobs in 2025 against 33,483 in 2019 (+2.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,781 to 3,506.
Does Eddy County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Eddy County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.