Roosevelt County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Portales
Roosevelt County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Roosevelt County is home to Portales. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Blackwater Solar Center, LLC (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among New Mexico's counties. Next door, Lea County has 721 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 163, down 16.8% since 2019. 522 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Roosevelt County
Roosevelt County is home to Portales.
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 Roosevelt County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,153 | 18,615 | ▼ 2.8% | 21st of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,892 | 5,870 | ▼ 0.4% | 21st of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,035 | $47,224 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 196 | 163 | ▼ 16.8% | 20th of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33 | 20 | ▼ 39.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 522 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 21% of today's fleet | 6th of 14 by size |
Its power plants have 942 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind, the 8th largest fleet in New Mexico. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Roosevelt County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.98¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. Employers here counted 5,870 jobs in 2025, down 0.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 18,615 people live here, down 2.8% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 20, down 39.4% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $49,411 a year.
Who powers Roosevelt County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +522 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Roosevelt 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% |
| 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.
Operating power plants 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 942 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sagamore Wind | Southwestern Public Service Co | Wind | 522 MW | 2020 |
| Roosevelt County | Boralex US Operations LLC | Wind | 250 MW | 2015 |
| San Juan Mesa Wind Project LLC | NRG Energy Gas & Wind Holdings Inc | Wind | 120 MW | 2005 |
| Milo Wind Project LLC | Boralex US Operations LLC | Wind | 50 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwater Solar Center - NM | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Blackwater Solar Center, LLC |
The Roosevelt County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,870 | $47,224 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 163 | $35,816 | 0.52 |
| Electrical contractors | 20 | $49,411 | 0.47 |
| Electric utilities | 75 | $94,490 | 4.72 |
| Data processing and hosting | 4 | $45,584 | 0.22 |
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 Roosevelt County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Roosevelt County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide.
Roosevelt County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Roosevelt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt County | 18,615 | ▼ 0.4% | 942 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Bailey County TX | 6,963 | ▼ 5.2% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Chaves County | 63,364 | ▲ 3.0% | 194 MW | — | — | — |
| Cochran County TX | 2,546 | ▼ 0.3% | 150 MW | 120 MW | — | — |
| Curry County | 46,655 | ▲ 7.1% | 573 MW | — | — | — |
| De Baca County | 1,647 | ▲ 3.7% | — | 158 MW | — | — |
| Lea County | 74,749 | ▲ 3.1% | 1,844 MW | 721 MW | — | — |
| Quay County | 8,454 | ▼ 1.1% | 409 MW | — | — | — |
More of New Mexico
Roosevelt County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Roosevelt County, New Mexico?
3 utilities have service territory in Roosevelt County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (NM), Roosevelt County Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 11.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Portales, NM in?
Portales is in Roosevelt County, New Mexico. About 11,734 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Roosevelt County?
4 operating plants with 942 MW of capacity. The largest is Sagamore Wind (522 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Roosevelt County?
200 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Blackwater Solar Center, LLC.
Are there data centers in Roosevelt County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Roosevelt County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lea County.
Is Roosevelt County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,870 jobs in 2025 against 5,892 in 2019 (-0.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 196 to 163.
Does Roosevelt County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Roosevelt County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.