Albany County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Laramie
Albany County is where a large share of Wyoming's next power plants are planned. Albany County is home to Laramie. Construction employs 980, up 30.1% since 2019. 504 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Repsol Renewables NA (wind), the 4th largest pipeline among Wyoming's counties. 330 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Employers here counted 17,110 jobs in 2025, up 9.2% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 23 Wyoming counties).
Cities and towns in Albany County
Albany County is home to Laramie.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Albany, Centennial, Fox Park, Woods Landing-Jelm.
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 Albany County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,107 | 38,558 | ▲ 3.9% | 6th of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,674 | 17,110 | ▲ 9.2% | 5th of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,901 | $55,028 | ▲ 31.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 753 | 980 | ▲ 30.1% | 2nd of 14 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.2% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 330 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 504 MW | 103% of today's fleet | 4th of 6 by size |
Its power plants have 487 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind, the 8th largest fleet in Wyoming. Unemployment was 2.2% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Albany County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.44¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.98¢ median for Wyoming utilities. 38,558 people live here, up 3.9% since 2020, 6th of 23 Wyoming counties by population.
Who powers Albany County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +330 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Albany County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 118,130 | 13.44¢ | 16% |
| Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power | Investor Owned | Bundled | 39,954 | 16.96¢ | 80% |
| High West Energy, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,579 | 14.37¢ | 55% |
| Carbon Power & Light, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Wheatland Rural Elec Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 77% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 487 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boswell Wind | Boswell Wind, LLC | Wind | 330 MW | 2024 |
| High Plains | PacifiCorp | Wind | 122 MW | 2009 |
| McFadden Ridge | PacifiCorp | Wind | 35 MW | 2009 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rail Tie Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 504 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Repsol Renewables NA |
The Albany County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,110 | $55,028 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 980 | $64,622 | 1.08 |
| Electric utilities | 20 | $124,993 | 0.43 |
| Data processing and hosting | 14 | $129,946 | 0.26 |
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 Albany County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Albany County. Wyoming has 2 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Larimer County.
Albany County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Albany County, Carbon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany County | 38,558 | ▲ 9.2% | 487 MW | 504 MW | — | — |
| Carbon County | 14,013 | ▼ 9.6% | 1,847 MW | 3,557 MW | — | — |
| Converse County | 13,824 | ▼ 12.3% | 2,400 MW | 998 MW | 1 | — |
| Jackson County CO | 1,211 | ▼ 4.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Laramie County | 102,938 | ▲ 4.9% | 746 MW | 1,485 MW | 28 | — |
| Larimer County CO | 377,292 | ▲ 3.3% | 1,055 MW | 225 MW | — | 1 |
| Natrona County | 80,526 | ▲ 2.6% | 250 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Platte County | 8,634 | ▼ 6.3% | 1,907 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of Wyoming
Albany County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Albany County, Wyoming?
6 utilities have service territory in Albany County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power, High West Energy, Inc, Carbon Power & Light, Inc. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 13.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Laramie, WY in?
Laramie is in Albany County, Wyoming. About 32,284 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Albany County?
3 operating plants with 487 MW of capacity. The largest is Boswell Wind (330 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Albany County?
504 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Repsol Renewables NA.
Are there data centers in Albany County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Albany County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Carbon County.
Is Albany County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,110 jobs in 2025 against 15,674 in 2019 (+9.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 753 to 980.
Does Albany County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Albany County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.