San Juan County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Farmington, Bloomfield and Aztec
San Juan County is a generation frontier for New Mexico. 1,729 MW of new generation is planned here across 27 units, led by Navajo Transitional Energy Company (natural gas), the largest pipeline among New Mexico's counties. 510 MW of it is already under construction or built. Owners plan to retire 1,636 MW more by 2035, led by Four Corners in 2031. San Juan County is home to Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec and Kirtland. 943 MW has retired here since 2019, including San Juan (coal, 924 MW, 2022). Construction employs 4,073, up 10.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in San Juan County
San Juan County is home to Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec and Kirtland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Angustura, Beclabito, Blanco, Cedar Hill, Center Point, Crouch Mesa, Crystal, Flora Vista, Fruitland, La Boca, La Plata, Lake Valley, Lee Acres, Middle Mesa, Nageezi, Napi Headquarters, Naschitti, Navajo Dam, Nenahnezad, Newcomb, North Light Plant, Ojo Amarillo, Sanostee, Sheep Springs, Shiprock, South River, Spencerville, Totah Vista, Turley, Upper Fruitland, Waterflow, West Hammond.
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 San Juan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 121,384 | 120,340 | ▼ 0.9% | 5th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46,666 | 47,793 | ▲ 2.4% | 16th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,138 | $58,822 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,689 | 4,073 | ▲ 10.4% | 10th of 22 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 5.3% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 319 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 943 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,729 MW | 84% of today's fleet | 1st of 14 by size |
Its power plants have 2,052 MW of capacity, 80% of it coal, the 3rd largest fleet in New Mexico. 319 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 391, at an average $72,795 a year. Employers here counted 47,793 jobs in 2025, up 2.4% from 2019. Public Service Co of NM is the largest utility serving San Juan County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.57¢/kWh in 2024. 120,340 people live here, down 0.9% since 2020, 5th of 33 New Mexico counties by population.
Who powers San Juan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −624 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in San Juan 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% |
| City of Farmington - (NM) | Municipal | Bundled | 35,990 | 12.69¢ | 41% |
| Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 28,093 | 15.36¢ | 41% |
| Navajo Tribal Utility Authority | State | Bundled | 9,834 | 16.53¢ | 50% |
| City of Aztec - (NM) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,636 MW | 80% |
| Solar | 200 MW | 10% |
| Battery storage | 100 MW | 5% |
| Natural gas | 86 MW | 4% |
| Hydro | 30 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Corners | Arizona Public Service Co | Coal | 1,636 MW | 1969 |
| San Juan Solar I | San Juan Solar I, LLC | Solar | 300 MW | 2024 |
| Bluffview | City of Farmington - (NM) | Natural gas | 86 MW | 2005 |
| Navajo Dam | City of Farmington - (NM) | Hydro | 30 MW | 1989 |
Planned generation 27
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foxtail Flats Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 170 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Foxtail Flats Solar, LLC |
| Four Mile Mesa Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Four Mile Mesa Solar, LLC |
| Four Mile Mesa Solar, LLC | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Four Mile Mesa Solar, LLC |
| Rockmont Solar and Storage Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | 201LC 8me LLC |
| Foxtail Flats Solar, LLC | Batteries | 80 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Foxtail Flats Solar, LLC |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
| NTEC Gas Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Navajo Transitional Energy Company |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan | Coal | 924 MW | 2022 |
| Animas | Natural gas | 19 MW | 2020 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Corners | Coal | 1,636 MW | 2031 |
The San Juan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 47,793 | $58,822 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,073 | $78,513 | 1.61 |
| Electrical contractors | 391 | $72,795 | 1.13 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $98,815 | 0.05 |
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 San Juan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in San Juan County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Archuleta County.
San Juan County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border San Juan County, Apache 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County | 120,340 | ▲ 2.4% | 2,052 MW | 1,729 MW | — | — |
| Apache County AZ | 64,445 | ▼ 5.0% | 2,604 MW | — | — | — |
| Archuleta County CO | 14,306 | ▲ 14.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
| La Plata County CO | 56,898 | ▲ 4.5% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| McKinley County | 68,119 | ▼ 7.6% | 658 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Montezuma County CO | 26,678 | ▲ 1.1% | 22 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Rio Arriba County | 39,832 | ▼ 2.8% | 338 MW | — | — | — |
| San Juan County UT | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
| Sandoval County | 159,565 | ▲ 13.4% | 467 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of New Mexico
San Juan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Juan County, New Mexico?
6 utilities have service territory in San Juan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NM, City of Farmington - (NM), Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. The largest, Public Service Co of NM, charged residential customers 15.57¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Farmington, NM in?
Farmington is in San Juan County, New Mexico. About 46,055 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in San Juan County?
4 operating plants with 2,052 MW of capacity. The largest is Four Corners (1,636 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in San Juan County?
1,729 MW across 27 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 510 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Navajo Transitional Energy Company.
Are there data centers in San Juan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in San Juan County.
Is San Juan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 47,793 jobs in 2025 against 46,666 in 2019 (+2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,689 to 4,073.
Does San Juan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Juan County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.