Sierra County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte
Sierra County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Sierra County is home to Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “18-month data center moratorium”. Construction employs 215, up 19.4% since 2019. Employers here counted 3,641 jobs in 2025, up 8.3% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 33 New Mexico counties). Unemployment was 5.9% in August 2026, against 6.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Sierra County
Sierra County is home to Truth or Consequences and Elephant Butte.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arrey, Caballo, Hillsboro, Hot Springs Landing, Kingston, Las Palomas, Oasis, Winston.
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 Sierra County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,562 | 11,395 | ▼ 1.4% | 25th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,362 | 3,641 | ▲ 8.3% | 6th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,673 | $45,691 | ▲ 39.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 180 | 215 | ▲ 19.4% | 7th of 22 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.7% | 5.9% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 31 MW of capacity, 91% of it hydro. El Paso Electric Co is the largest utility serving Sierra County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.16¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. 11,395 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Sierra County
Utilities with service territory in Sierra County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 94,760 | 10.16¢ | 49% |
| Socorro Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Truth or Consequences - (NM) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Sierra Electric 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 28 MW | 91% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant Butte | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 28 MW | 1940 |
| City of Truth or Consequences PV | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2015 |
| Wal-Mart Truth or Consequences PV | CleanCapital Holdings | Solar | 1 MW | 2015 |
The Sierra County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,641 | $45,691 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 215 | $65,801 | 1.11 |
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 Sierra County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026 |
Sierra County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Sierra County, Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra County | 11,395 | ▲ 8.3% | 31 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Catron County | 3,827 | ▲ 9.0% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Doña Ana County | 229,091 | ▲ 11.5% | 1,085 MW | 155 MW | 5 | — |
| Grant County | 27,252 | ▲ 2.0% | 55 MW | 5 MW | — | 1 |
| Lincoln County | 19,844 | ▲ 1.1% | 3,291 MW | — | — | — |
| Luna County | 25,407 | ▲ 5.2% | 1,058 MW | 8 MW | — | — |
| Otero County | 70,368 | ▲ 0.8% | 193 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Socorro County | 15,838 | ▼ 5.4% | — | — | — | 2 |
More of New Mexico
Sierra County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sierra County, New Mexico?
4 utilities have service territory in Sierra County in the EIA-861 2024 report: El Paso Electric Co, Socorro Electric Coop, Inc, City of Truth or Consequences - (NM), Sierra Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, El Paso Electric Co, charged residential customers 10.16¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sierra County?
3 operating plants with 31 MW of capacity. The largest is Elephant Butte (28 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Sierra County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sierra County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Doña Ana County.
Is Sierra County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,641 jobs in 2025 against 3,362 in 2019 (+8.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 180 to 215.
Does Sierra County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Sierra County, 1 in force.