Carbon County, Utah: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Price, Helper and Wellington
Carbon 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. Carbon County is home to Price, Helper, Wellington and East Carbon. Electrical contractors employ 118, up 38.8% since 2019 against up 29.8% statewide, at an average $81,849 a year. Next door, Utah County has 12 data centers. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 80 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Carbon County
Carbon County is home to Price, Helper, Wellington and East Carbon.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Carbonville, Clear Creek, Kenilworth, Spring Glen, West Wood.
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 Carbon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,485 | 20,680 | ▲ 1.0% | 16th of 29 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,615 | 8,724 | ▲ 1.3% | 29th of 29 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,340 | $52,481 | ▲ 21.1% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 85 | 118 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 80 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 138 MW of capacity, 58% of it solar. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Carbon County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.39¢ median for Utah utilities. Employers here counted 8,724 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 20,680 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Carbon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +80 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carbon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 947,246 | 12.52¢ | 42% |
| City of Helper - (UT) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Price Municipal Corporation | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 80 MW | 58% |
| Coal | 58 MW | 42% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graphite Solar I | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 80 MW | 2022 |
| Sunnyside Cogen Associates | Sunnyside Cogeneration Assoc | Coal | 58 MW | 1993 |
The Carbon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,724 | $52,481 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 118 | $81,849 | 1.88 |
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 Carbon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carbon County. Utah has 10 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Grand County.
Carbon County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Carbon County, Utah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County | 20,680 | ▲ 1.3% | 138 MW | — | — | — |
| Duchesne County | 20,856 | ▲ 17.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Emery County | 10,177 | ▲ 12.4% | 3,728 MW | — | — | — |
| Grand County | 9,790 | ▲ 12.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Sanpete County | 31,453 | ▲ 16.8% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Uintah County | 38,278 | ▲ 20.2% | 512 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Utah County | 759,859 | ▲ 19.5% | 2,014 MW | 150 MW | 12 | — |
More of Utah
Carbon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carbon County, Utah?
3 utilities have service territory in Carbon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, City of Helper - (UT), Price Municipal Corporation. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Carbon County?
2 operating plants with 138 MW of capacity. The largest is Graphite Solar I (80 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Carbon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carbon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Utah County.
Is Carbon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,724 jobs in 2025 against 8,615 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Carbon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carbon County. Utah has 10 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.