Otero County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alamogordo and Tularosa
New generation is lining up in Otero County. Otero County is home to Alamogordo, Tularosa and Cloudcroft. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Buena Vista Energy Center III, LLC (battery storage), the 5th largest pipeline among New Mexico's counties. 200 MW of it is already under construction or built. 175 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 993, up 0.8% since 2019. Its power plants have 193 MW of capacity, 74% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Otero County
Otero County is home to Alamogordo, Tularosa and Cloudcroft.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bent, Boles Acres, Chaparral, High Rolls, Holloman AFB, La Luz, Mayhill, Mescalero, Orogrande, Pinon, Sacramento, Timberon, Twin Forks, Weed.
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 Otero County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 67,868 | 70,368 | ▲ 3.7% | 8th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,392 | 17,539 | ▲ 0.8% | 19th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,178 | $51,656 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 985 | 993 | ▲ 0.8% | 14th of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 124 | 125 | ▲ 0.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.9% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 175 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 104% of today's fleet | 5th of 14 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 125, up 0.8% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $67,354 a year. Public Service Co of NM is the largest utility serving Otero County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.57¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 17,539 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. 70,368 people live here, up 3.7% since 2020, 8th of 33 New Mexico counties by population.
Who powers Otero County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +175 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Otero 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% |
| El Paso Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 94,760 | 10.16¢ | 49% |
| Otero County Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,448 | 17.65¢ | 44% |
| 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 143 MW | 74% |
| Battery storage | 50 MW | 26% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista Energy Center | Buena Vista Energy Center, LLC | Battery storage | 170 MW | 2023 |
| Otero Solar | PNM Resources | Solar | 8 MW | 2013 |
| Alamogordo Solar Energy Center | PNM Resources | Solar | 5 MW | 2011 |
| Holloman Solar Facility | El Paso Electric Co | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Pluma - Reynolds (CSG) | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista Energy Center III | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Buena Vista Energy Center III, LLC |
| Buena Vista Energy Center III | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Buena Vista Energy Center III, LLC |
The Otero County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,539 | $51,656 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 993 | $57,934 | 1.07 |
| Electrical contractors | 125 | $67,354 | 0.99 |
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 Otero County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Otero County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Sierra County.
Otero County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Otero County, El Paso 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otero County | 70,368 | ▲ 0.8% | 193 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Chaves County | 63,364 | ▲ 3.0% | 194 MW | — | — | — |
| Culberson County TX | 2,267 | ▲ 33.0% | 492 MW | 36 MW | — | — |
| Doña Ana County | 229,091 | ▲ 11.5% | 1,085 MW | 155 MW | 5 | — |
| Eddy County | 62,509 | ▲ 2.8% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| El Paso County TX | 877,858 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,928 MW | 500 MW | 3 | — |
| Hudspeth County TX | 3,433 | ▼ 24.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 19,844 | ▲ 1.1% | 3,291 MW | — | — | — |
| Sierra County | 11,395 | ▲ 8.3% | 31 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of New Mexico
Otero County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Otero County, New Mexico?
5 utilities have service territory in Otero County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NM, El Paso Electric Co, Otero County Electric Coop Inc, Central Valley Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of NM, charged residential customers 15.57¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Alamogordo, NM in?
Alamogordo is in Otero County, New Mexico. About 31,906 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Otero County?
5 operating plants with 193 MW of capacity. The largest is Buena Vista Energy Center (170 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Otero County?
200 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 200 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Buena Vista Energy Center III, LLC.
Are there data centers in Otero County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Otero County. The nearest activity on record is next door in El Paso County.
Is Otero County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,539 jobs in 2025 against 17,392 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 985 to 993.
Does Otero County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Otero County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.