Grand County, Utah: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Moab
Grand County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Grand County is home to Moab. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through January 3, 2027”. Employers here counted 6,838 jobs in 2025, up 12.6% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 17, up 21.4% since 2019 against up 29.8% statewide, at an average $61,179 a year. Construction employs 302, up 10.2% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Grand County
Grand County is home to Moab.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Thompson Springs.
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 Grand County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,683 | 9,790 | ▲ 1.1% | 22nd of 29 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,072 | 6,838 | ▲ 12.6% | 18th of 29 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,941 | $48,538 | ▲ 38.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 274 | 302 | ▲ 10.2% | 20th of 20 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14 | 17 | ▲ 21.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Grand County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.39¢ median for Utah utilities. 9,790 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Grand County
Utilities with service territory in Grand 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.
No operating power plant is located in Grand County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Grand County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,838 | $48,538 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 302 | $56,521 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 17 | $61,179 | 0.34 |
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 Grand County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through January 3, 2027 | In force | 2026-07 |
Grand County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Grand County, Emery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand County | 9,790 | ▲ 12.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Carbon County | 20,680 | ▲ 1.3% | 138 MW | — | — | — |
| Emery County | 10,177 | ▲ 12.4% | 3,728 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County CO | 63,474 | ▲ 6.0% | 82 MW | — | — | — |
| Mesa County CO | 162,845 | ▲ 5.1% | 56 MW | 202 MW | — | 1 |
| Montrose County CO | 44,591 | ▲ 12.7% | 228 MW | — | — | — |
| San Juan County | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
| Uintah County | 38,278 | ▲ 20.2% | 512 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wayne County | 2,587 | ▲ 17.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Utah
Grand County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grand County, Utah?
1 utility has service territory in Grand County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Grand County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grand County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mesa County.
Is Grand County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,838 jobs in 2025 against 6,072 in 2019 (+12.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 274 to 302.
Does Grand County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Grand County, 1 in force.