San Miguel County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Las Vegas and Pecos
San Miguel County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. San Miguel County is home to Las Vegas and Pecos. Next door, Santa Fe County has 1 data center. 25 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 280, up 0.7% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 53, up 6.0% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $60,176 a year.
Cities and towns in San Miguel County
San Miguel County is home to Las Vegas and Pecos.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Conchas Dam, East Pecos, North San Ysidro, Pueblo, Ribera, Rowe, San Jose, Sena, Soham, Tecolote, Tecolotito, Villanueva.
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 Miguel County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 27,134 | 26,260 | ▼ 3.2% | 17th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,011 | 7,821 | ▼ 2.4% | 25th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,672 | $45,257 | ▲ 38.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 278 | 280 | ▲ 0.7% | 15th of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50 | 53 | ▲ 6.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 5.3% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 25 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 32 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 7,821 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. Public Service Co of NM is the largest utility serving San Miguel County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.57¢/kWh in 2024. 26,260 people live here, down 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers San Miguel County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +25 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in San Miguel 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% |
| Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,126 | 17.16¢ | 20% |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (NM) | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,258 | 12.87¢ | 27% |
| Springer Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,453 | 19.01¢ | 10% |
| Mora-San Miguel Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 32 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Miguel I Solar Energy Center | PNM Resources | Solar | 10 MW | 2019 |
| San Miguel II Solar Energy Center | PNM Resources | Solar | 10 MW | 2019 |
| Las Vegas Solar Energy Center | PNM Resources | Solar | 5 MW | 2011 |
| Pluma - Pino | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Storrie Lake Solar Project | MSM Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2014 |
The San Miguel County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,821 | $45,257 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 280 | $60,254 | 0.68 |
| Electrical contractors | 53 | $60,176 | 0.94 |
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 Miguel County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in San Miguel County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Santa Fe County.
San Miguel County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border San Miguel County, Torrance 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 Miguel County | 26,260 | ▼ 2.4% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Guadalupe County | 4,343 | ▲ 3.3% | 235 MW | — | — | — |
| Harding County | 617 | ▲ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Mora County | 4,051 | ▼ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Quay County | 8,454 | ▼ 1.1% | 409 MW | — | — | — |
| Santa Fe County | 156,907 | ▼ 1.1% | 14 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
| Torrance County | 16,100 | ▼ 2.5% | 2,170 MW | — | — | — |
More of New Mexico
San Miguel County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Miguel County, New Mexico?
5 utilities have service territory in San Miguel County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NM, Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (NM), Springer Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of NM, charged residential customers 15.57¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Las Vegas, NM in?
Las Vegas is in San Miguel County, New Mexico. About 12,574 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in San Miguel County?
5 operating plants with 32 MW of capacity. The largest is San Miguel I Solar Energy Center (10 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in San Miguel County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in San Miguel County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Santa Fe County.
Is San Miguel County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,821 jobs in 2025 against 8,011 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 278 to 280.
Does San Miguel County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Miguel County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.