Grant County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Silver City, Bayard and Santa Clara
Grant County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Grant County is home to Silver City, Bayard, Santa Clara and Hurley. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed one-year data center moratorium”. Electrical contractors employ 69, up 50.0% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $45,774 a year. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Standard Solar (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 413, up 9.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Grant County
Grant County is home to Silver City, Bayard, Santa Clara and Hurley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arenas Valley, Buckhorn, Casas Adobes, Cliff, Cobre, Faywood, Gila, Gila Hot Springs, Hachita, Hanover, Lake Roberts, Lake Roberts Heights, Little Walnut Village, Mimbres, North Hurley, Pinos Altos, Redrock, Rosedale, San Lorenzo, Trout Valley, Tyrone, White Signal.
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 Grant County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,203 | 27,252 | ▼ 3.4% | 15th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,161 | 9,348 | ▲ 2.0% | 17th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,393 | $57,483 | ▲ 35.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 379 | 413 | ▲ 9.0% | 12th of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46 | 69 | ▲ 50.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.6% | 5.0% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 30 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 9% of today's fleet | 13th of 14 by size |
30 MW has retired here since 2019, including Freeport McMoRan (petroleum, 30 MW, 2025). Its power plants have 55 MW of capacity, 98% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 5.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 9,348 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. Public Service Co of NM is the largest utility serving Grant County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.57¢/kWh in 2024. 27,252 people live here, down 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Grant County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −30 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Grant County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of NM | Investor Owned | Bundled | 492,945 | 15.57¢ | 39% |
| Columbus Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Duncan Valley Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 54 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chino Mines | FreePort-McMoRan-Corp-Chino Mines | Natural gas | 54 MW | 1959 |
| Silver City WWTP PV Project | Affordable Solar Silver City, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2013 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pluma - SLT Grant | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Standard Solar |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeport McMoRan | Petroleum | 30 MW | 2025 |
The Grant County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,348 | $57,483 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 413 | $52,750 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 69 | $45,774 | 1.02 |
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 Grant County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed one-year data center moratorium | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Grant County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Grant County, Luna 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | 27,252 | ▲ 2.0% | 55 MW | 5 MW | — | 1 |
| Catron County | 3,827 | ▲ 9.0% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Greenlee County AZ | 9,312 | ▲ 9.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Hidalgo County | 3,929 | ▼ 21.9% | 297 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Luna County | 25,407 | ▲ 5.2% | 1,058 MW | 8 MW | — | — |
| Sierra County | 11,395 | ▲ 8.3% | 31 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of New Mexico
Grant County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grant County, New Mexico?
3 utilities have service territory in Grant County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NM, Columbus Electric Coop, Inc, Duncan Valley Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of NM, charged residential customers 15.57¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Grant County?
2 operating plants with 55 MW of capacity. The largest is Chino Mines (54 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Grant County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Standard Solar.
Are there data centers in Grant County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grant County.
Is Grant County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,348 jobs in 2025 against 9,161 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 379 to 413.
Does Grant County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Grant County, 0 in force.