Rio Arriba County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Española
No data center or power plant project is on record in Rio Arriba County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Rio Arriba County is home to most of Española (7,058 of its 10,458 residents) and Chama. Construction employs 230, down 35.9% since 2019. Next door, San Juan County has 1,729 MW of planned generation. 314 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 79, up 16.2% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $56,278 a year.
Cities and towns in Rio Arriba County
Rio Arriba County is home to most of Española (7,058 of its 10,458 residents) and Chama.
- Española also extends into Santa Fe County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Abiquiu, Alcalde, Brazos, Canjilon, Canova, Cañones, Chamita, Chili, Chimayo, Cordova, Coyote, Dixon, Dulce, El Duende, El Rito, Ensenada, Gallina, Hernandez, La Madera, La Mesilla, La Villita, Lindrith, Los Luceros, Los Ojos, Lumberton, Lybrook, Lyden, Medanales, Ohkay Owingeh, Ojo Caliente, Ojo Sarco, Pueblito, Rio Chiquito, San Jose, Santa Clara Pueblo, Tierra Amarilla, Truchas, Velarde, Youngsville.
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 Rio Arriba County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,253 | 39,832 | ▼ 1.0% | 13th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,813 | 9,536 | ▼ 2.8% | 27th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,606 | $50,458 | ▲ 34.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 359 | 230 | ▼ 35.9% | 22nd of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 68 | 79 | ▲ 16.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 4.8% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 314 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 338 MW of capacity, 72% of it solar. Employers here counted 9,536 jobs in 2025, down 2.8% from 2019. City of Farmington - (NM) is the largest utility serving Rio Arriba County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.69¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. 39,832 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Rio Arriba County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +314 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rio Arriba County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Farmington - (NM) | Municipal | Bundled | 35,990 | 12.69¢ | 41% |
| Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 28,093 | 15.36¢ | 41% |
| Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,097 | 18.18¢ | 39% |
| Northern Rio Arriba E 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 244 MW | 72% |
| Battery storage | 70 MW | 21% |
| Hydro | 24 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shallow Basket | Shallow Basket Energy, LLC | Battery storage | 190 MW | 2025 |
| Jicarilla Solar 1 LLC | Repsol Renewables NA | Battery storage | 70 MW | 2023 |
| Jicarilla Solar 2 | Repsol Renewables NA | Solar | 50 MW | 2023 |
| Abiquiu Dam | Los Alamos County - (NM) | Hydro | 16 MW | 1989 |
| El Vado Dam | Los Alamos County - (NM) | Hydro | 8 MW | 1988 |
| Alcalde Solar Array | Jemez Cuba LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Rio Arriba County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,536 | $50,458 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 230 | $58,449 | 0.46 |
| Electrical contractors | 79 | $56,278 | 1.15 |
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 Rio Arriba County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rio Arriba County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Archuleta County, Santa Fe County.
Rio Arriba County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Rio Arriba County, San Juan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Arriba County | 39,832 | ▼ 2.8% | 338 MW | — | — | — |
| Archuleta County CO | 14,306 | ▲ 14.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Conejos County CO | 7,529 | ▲ 7.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Los Alamos County | 19,407 | ▲ 30.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Mora County | 4,051 | ▼ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| San Juan County | 120,340 | ▲ 2.4% | 2,052 MW | 1,729 MW | — | — |
| Sandoval County | 159,565 | ▲ 13.4% | 467 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Santa Fe County | 156,907 | ▼ 1.1% | 14 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
| Taos County | 34,564 | ▲ 0.8% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
More of New Mexico
Rio Arriba County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico?
4 utilities have service territory in Rio Arriba County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Farmington - (NM), Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc, Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc, Northern Rio Arriba E Coop Inc. The largest, City of Farmington - (NM), charged residential customers 12.69¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Rio Arriba County?
7 operating plants with 338 MW of capacity. The largest is Shallow Basket (190 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Rio Arriba County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rio Arriba County. The nearest activity on record is next door in San Juan County.
Is Rio Arriba County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,536 jobs in 2025 against 9,813 in 2019 (-2.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 359 to 230.
Does Rio Arriba County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rio Arriba County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.