San Juan County, Utah: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Blanding and Monticello
No data center or power plant project is on record in San Juan County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. San Juan County is home to Blanding and Monticello. Next door, Coconino County, Arizona, has 2,700 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 4,780 jobs in 2025, up 9.8% from 2019. 72 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 134 MW of capacity, 54% of it solar.
Cities and towns in San Juan County
San Juan County is home to Blanding and Monticello.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aneth, Halchita, Halls Crossing, La Sal, Mexican Hat, Montezuma Creek, Navajo Mountain, Oljato-Monument Valley, Spanish Valley, Tselakai Dezza, White Mesa.
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 San Juan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,521 | 14,542 | ▲ 0.1% | 17th of 29 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,355 | 4,780 | ▲ 9.8% | 25th of 29 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,227 | $51,268 | ▲ 41.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.4% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 72 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving San Juan County, one of 5 with territory here. 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 4.7% in 2019. 14,542 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers San Juan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +72 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in San Juan County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 947,246 | 12.52¢ | 42% |
| Navajo Tribal Utility Authority | State | Bundled | 1,805 | 13.92¢ | 4% |
| Empire Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 946 | 16.26¢ | 56% |
| City of Blanding - (UT) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 94% |
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 | 72 MW | 54% |
| Wind | 62 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Mesa Solar Project | NTUA Generation - Utah, LLC | Solar | 72 MW | 2023 |
| Latigo Wind Park | AES Distributed Energy | Wind | 62 MW | 2016 |
The San Juan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,780 | $51,268 | 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 San Juan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in San Juan County. Utah has 10 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Grand County, Mesa County, Wayne County.
San Juan County and its neighbors
Of the 14 counties that border San Juan County, Coconino 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan County | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
| Apache County AZ | 64,445 | ▼ 5.0% | 2,604 MW | — | — | — |
| Coconino County AZ | 144,368 | ▲ 6.3% | 2,028 MW | 2,700 MW | — | — |
| Dolores County CO | 2,466 | ▼ 3.7% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Emery County | 10,177 | ▲ 12.4% | 3,728 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 5,256 | ▲ 6.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Grand County | 9,790 | ▲ 12.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Kane County | 8,597 | ▲ 16.2% | — | 95 MW | — | — |
| Mesa County CO | 162,845 | ▲ 5.1% | 56 MW | 202 MW | — | 1 |
| Montezuma County CO | 26,678 | ▲ 1.1% | 22 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Montrose County CO | 44,591 | ▲ 12.7% | 228 MW | — | — | — |
| Navajo County AZ | 109,946 | ▲ 4.1% | 711 MW | 1,900 MW | — | — |
| San Juan County NM | 120,340 | ▲ 2.4% | 2,052 MW | 1,729 MW | — | — |
| San Miguel County CO | 7,753 | ▲ 6.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 2,587 | ▲ 17.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Utah
San Juan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Juan County, Utah?
5 utilities have service territory in San Juan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, Empire Electric Assn, Inc, City of Blanding - (UT). The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 12.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in San Juan County?
2 operating plants with 134 MW of capacity. The largest is Red Mesa Solar Project (72 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in San Juan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in San Juan County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Coconino County.
Is San Juan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,780 jobs in 2025 against 4,355 in 2019 (+9.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does San Juan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Juan County. Utah has 10 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.