Torrance County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Moriarty and Estancia
Torrance County hosts some of the generating capacity New Mexico runs on. Torrance County is home to Moriarty, Estancia and Mountainair. 1,770 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 202, up 25.5% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,170 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind, the 2nd largest fleet in New Mexico. Next door, Bernalillo County has 14 data centers and 250 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Torrance County
Torrance County is home to Moriarty, Estancia and Mountainair.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Deer Canyon, Duran, Indian Hills, Manzano, Manzano Springs, McIntosh, Punta de Agua, Tajique, Torreon.
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 Torrance County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,059 | 16,100 | ▲ 6.9% | 22nd of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,274 | 3,191 | ▼ 2.5% | 26th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,864 | $56,316 | ▲ 57.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 161 | 202 | ▲ 25.5% | 5th of 22 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.4% | 6.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,770 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 3,191 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. Public Service Co of NM is the largest utility serving Torrance County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.57¢/kWh in 2024. 16,100 people live here, up 6.9% since 2020. Unemployment was 6.1% in August 2026, against 6.4% in 2019.
Who powers Torrance County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,770 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Torrance 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% |
| Socorro 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 2,118 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 52 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SunZia Wind North | Pattern Operators LP | Wind | 1,089 MW | 2026 |
| Clines Corners Wind Farm LLC | Pattern Operators LP | Wind | 325 MW | 2021 |
| La Joya NM | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 306 MW | 2021 |
| El Cabo Wind | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 298 MW | 2017 |
| High Lonesome Mesa LLC | High Lonesome Mesa, LLC | Wind | 100 MW | 2009 |
| Britton Solar Energy Center | Exus New Mexico | Solar | 50 MW | 2019 |
The Torrance County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,191 | $56,316 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 202 | $61,128 | 1.19 |
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 Torrance County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Torrance County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Santa Fe County, Socorro County.
Torrance County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Torrance County, Bernalillo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torrance County | 16,100 | ▼ 2.5% | 2,170 MW | — | — | — |
| Bernalillo County | 667,601 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,247 MW | 250 MW | 14 | — |
| Guadalupe County | 4,343 | ▲ 3.3% | 235 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 19,844 | ▲ 1.1% | 3,291 MW | — | — | — |
| San Miguel County | 26,260 | ▼ 2.4% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Santa Fe County | 156,907 | ▼ 1.1% | 14 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
| Socorro County | 15,838 | ▼ 5.4% | — | — | — | 2 |
| Valencia County | 82,013 | ▲ 17.0% | 621 MW | 203 MW | 6 | — |
More of New Mexico
Torrance County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Torrance County, New Mexico?
3 utilities have service territory in Torrance County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NM, Central New Mexico El Coop, Inc, Socorro Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of NM, charged residential customers 15.57¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Torrance County?
7 operating plants with 2,170 MW of capacity. The largest is SunZia Wind North (1,089 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Torrance County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Torrance County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bernalillo County.
Is Torrance County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,191 jobs in 2025 against 3,274 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 161 to 202.
Does Torrance County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Torrance County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.