Sandoval County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and Corrales
Sandoval County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 356, up 73.7% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $83,188 a year. Sandoval County is home to Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Corrales and Cuba. Construction employs 2,420, up 29.8% since 2019. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Affordable Solar Silver City, LLC (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, San Juan County has 1,729 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Sandoval County
Sandoval County is home to Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Corrales and Cuba.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Algodones, Cañon, Cochiti, Cochiti Lake, Jemez Pueblo, La Cueva, La Jara, La Madera, Peña Blanca, Placitas, Ponderosa, Pueblo of Sandia Village, Regina, Rio Rancho Estates, San Felipe Pueblo, San Luis, Santa Ana Pueblo, Santo Domingo Pueblo, Torreon, Zia Pueblo.
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 Sandoval County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 149,271 | 159,565 | ▲ 6.9% | 3rd of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31,642 | 35,867 | ▲ 13.4% | 3rd of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,418 | $61,469 | ▲ 41.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,864 | 2,420 | ▲ 29.8% | 4th of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 205 | 356 | ▲ 73.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16 | 62 | ▲ 287.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.9% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 312 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 12th of 14 by size |
Employers here counted 35,867 jobs in 2025, up 13.4% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 33 New Mexico counties). 312 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 467 MW of capacity, 56% of it solar. Public Service Co of NM is the largest utility serving Sandoval County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.57¢/kWh in 2024. 159,565 people live here, up 6.9% since 2020, 3rd of 33 New Mexico counties by population. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Who powers Sandoval County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +312 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sandoval 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% |
| Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 28,093 | 15.36¢ | 41% |
| Continental Divide El Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,415 | 16.02¢ | 21% |
| Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,126 | 17.16¢ | 20% |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 262 MW | 56% |
| Wind | 102 MW | 22% |
| Battery storage | 58 MW | 12% |
| Natural gas | 45 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAG | Exus New Mexico | Battery storage | 198 MW | 2025 |
| Red Mesa Wind LLC | Red Mesa Wind LLC | Wind | 102 MW | 2010 |
| Encino Solar Energy Center | Exus New Mexico | Solar | 55 MW | 2020 |
| NMRD Data Center III, LLC | Exus New Mexico | Solar | 50 MW | 2023 |
| Algodones | Public Service Co of NM | Natural gas | 45 MW | 1954 |
| Sandoval Solar Energy Center | PNM Resources | Solar | 6 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLO-2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Affordable Solar Silver City, LLC |
The Sandoval County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 35,867 | $61,469 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,420 | $73,935 | 1.27 |
| Electrical contractors | 356 | $83,188 | 1.38 |
| Data processing and hosting | 62 | $180,284 | 0.56 |
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 Sandoval County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sandoval County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Santa Fe County.
Sandoval County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Sandoval 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandoval County | 159,565 | ▲ 13.4% | 467 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Bernalillo County | 667,601 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,247 MW | 250 MW | 14 | — |
| Cibola County | 26,807 | ▼ 4.8% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Los Alamos County | 19,407 | ▲ 30.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| McKinley County | 68,119 | ▼ 7.6% | 658 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Rio Arriba County | 39,832 | ▼ 2.8% | 338 MW | — | — | — |
| San Juan County | 120,340 | ▲ 2.4% | 2,052 MW | 1,729 MW | — | — |
| Santa Fe County | 156,907 | ▼ 1.1% | 14 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
More of New Mexico
Sandoval County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sandoval County, New Mexico?
4 utilities have service territory in Sandoval County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NM, Jemez Mountains Elec Coop, Inc, Continental Divide El Coop Inc, Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of NM, charged residential customers 15.57¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Rio Rancho, NM in?
Rio Rancho is in Sandoval County, New Mexico. About 114,415 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Sandoval County?
11 operating plants with 467 MW of capacity. The largest is TAG (198 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Sandoval County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Affordable Solar Silver City, LLC.
Are there data centers in Sandoval County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sandoval County. The nearest activity on record is next door in San Juan County.
Is Sandoval County adding jobs?
Employers counted 35,867 jobs in 2025 against 31,642 in 2019 (+13.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,864 to 2,420.
Does Sandoval County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sandoval County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.