Taos County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Taos and Questa
No data center or power plant project is on record in Taos County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Taos County is home to Taos, Questa and Red River. Construction employs 521, down 3.5% since 2019. 56 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 6.1% in 2019. Its power plants have 60 MW of capacity, 57% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Taos County
Taos County is home to Taos, Questa and Red River.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arroyo Hondo, Arroyo Seco, Chamisal, Costilla, Ojo Caliente, Peñasco, Picuris Pueblo, Ranchos de Taos, Rio Lucio, San Cristobal, Talpa, Taos Pueblo, Vadito.
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 Taos County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,459 | 34,564 | ▲ 0.3% | 14th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,909 | 10,996 | ▲ 0.8% | 20th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,810 | $47,611 | ▲ 45.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 540 | 521 | ▼ 3.5% | 17th of 22 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 66 | 53 | ▼ 19.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.1% | 5.3% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 56 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Taos County. Its residential customers paid an average 18.18¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. Employers here counted 10,996 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 34,564 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 53, down 19.7% since 2019 against up 18.1% statewide, at an average $63,585 a year.
Who powers Taos County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +56 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Taos County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,097 | 18.18¢ | 39% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 34 MW | 57% |
| Battery storage | 25 MW | 43% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taos Mesa Energy Facility Hybrid | Taos Mesa Energy Facility, LLC | Battery storage | 28 MW | 2022 |
| Kit Carson Co-Op | Solar DG NM Amalia, LLC | Solar | 24 MW | 2025 |
| Syncarpha Taos | Syncarpha Taos I, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |
| Syncarpha Questa | Syncarpha Questa I, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Blue Sky One | CleanCapital Holdings | Solar | 1 MW | 2012 |
| Kit Carson | Terraform Arcadia | Solar | 1 MW | 2012 |
The Taos County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,996 | $47,611 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 521 | $60,013 | 0.89 |
| Electrical contractors | 53 | $63,585 | 0.67 |
| Data processing and hosting | 16 | $108,257 | 0.47 |
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 Taos County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Taos County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Colfax County.
Taos County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Taos County, Rio Arriba 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taos County | 34,564 | ▲ 0.8% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Colfax County | 12,184 | ▼ 6.6% | 44 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Conejos County CO | 7,529 | ▲ 7.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Costilla County CO | 3,679 | ▼ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Mora County | 4,051 | ▼ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Rio Arriba County | 39,832 | ▼ 2.8% | 338 MW | — | — | — |
More of New Mexico
Taos County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Taos County, New Mexico?
1 utility has service territory in Taos County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Kit Carson Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 18.18¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Taos County?
7 operating plants with 60 MW of capacity. The largest is Taos Mesa Energy Facility Hybrid (28 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Taos County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Taos County.
Is Taos County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,996 jobs in 2025 against 10,909 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 540 to 521.
Does Taos County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Taos County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.