Emery County, Utah: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Huntington, Castle Dale and Ferron
Emery County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Emery County is home to Huntington, Castle Dale, Ferron and Orangeville. Its power plants have 3,728 MW of capacity, 67% of it coal, the largest fleet in Utah. 1,240 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Next door, Uintah County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 3,628 jobs in 2025, up 12.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Emery County
Emery County is home to Huntington, Castle Dale, Ferron and Orangeville.
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 Emery County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,844 | 10,177 | ▲ 3.4% | 21st of 29 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,229 | 3,628 | ▲ 12.4% | 19th of 29 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,292 | $60,000 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,240 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Emery County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.39¢ median for Utah utilities. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 10,177 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Emery County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,240 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Emery County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 947,246 | 12.52¢ | 42% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,488 MW | 67% |
| Solar | 840 MW | 23% |
| Battery storage | 400 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter | PacifiCorp | Coal | 1,472 MW | 1978 |
| Huntington | PacifiCorp | Coal | 1,016 MW | 1974 |
| Green River Energy Center - Hybrid | Green River Energy Center, LLC | Battery storage | 800 MW | 2026 |
| Hornshadow Solar II, LLC | Hornshadow Solar II, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Hornshadow Solar, LLC | Hornshadow Solar, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2025 |
| Hunter Solar LLC (UT) | Hunter Solar LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2021 |
The Emery County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,628 | $60,000 | 1.00 |
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 Emery County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Emery County. Utah has 10 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Grand County, Wayne County.
Emery County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Emery County, Uintah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emery County | 10,177 | ▲ 12.4% | 3,728 MW | — | — | — |
| Carbon County | 20,680 | ▲ 1.3% | 138 MW | — | — | — |
| Grand County | 9,790 | ▲ 12.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| San Juan County | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
| Sanpete County | 31,453 | ▲ 16.8% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Sevier County | 22,827 | ▲ 10.2% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Uintah County | 38,278 | ▲ 20.2% | 512 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wayne County | 2,587 | ▲ 17.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Utah
Emery County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Emery County, Utah?
1 utility has service territory in Emery County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Emery County?
7 operating plants with 3,728 MW of capacity. The largest is Hunter (1,472 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Emery County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Emery County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Uintah County.
Is Emery County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,628 jobs in 2025 against 3,229 in 2019 (+12.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Emery County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Emery County. Utah has 10 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.