Campbell County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gillette and Wright
Campbell County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Campbell County, 5% of Wyoming's total. Campbell County is home to Gillette and Wright. Electrical contractors employ 346, up 34.6% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $80,024 a year. Its power plants have 1,362 MW of capacity, 91% of it coal, the 5th largest fleet in Wyoming. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Campbell County
Campbell County is home to Gillette and Wright.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Sleepy Hollow.
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 Campbell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 47,146 | 48,145 | ▲ 2.1% | 3rd of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25,178 | 24,657 | ▼ 2.1% | 17th of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $59,455 | $68,998 | ▲ 16.1% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 257 | 346 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73 | 93 | ▲ 27.4% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 308 | 295 | ▼ 4.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 2.7% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 24,657 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019. Powder River Energy Corp is the largest utility serving Campbell County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.73¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.98¢ median for Wyoming utilities. 48,145 people live here, up 2.1% since 2020, 3rd of 23 Wyoming counties by population.
Who powers Campbell County
Utilities with service territory in Campbell County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powder River Energy Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,406 | 11.73¢ | 38% |
| City of Gillette - (WY) | Municipal | Bundled | 13,990 | 12.62¢ | 56% |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,018 | 13.13¢ | 24% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,237 MW | 91% |
| Natural gas | 125 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry Fork Station | Basin Electric Power Coop | Coal | 484 MW | 2011 |
| Wyodak | PacifiCorp | Coal | 362 MW | 1978 |
| Neil Simpson II | Black Hills Power, Inc. | Coal | 130 MW | 1995 |
| Wygen III | Black Hills Power, Inc. | Coal | 116 MW | 2010 |
| Wygen 2 | Black Hills Power, Inc. | Coal | 95 MW | 2008 |
| Wygen 1 | Black Hills Ontario LLC | Coal | 90 MW | 2003 |
The Campbell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 24,657 | $68,998 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 346 | $80,024 | 1.95 |
| Power and communication line construction | 93 | $88,693 | 2.34 |
| Electric utilities | 295 | $128,721 | 4.42 |
| Data processing and hosting | 10 | $120,271 | 0.13 |
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 Campbell County
2 data centers in Campbell County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Campbell County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Campbell County, Converse 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County | 48,145 | ▼ 2.1% | 1,362 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Converse County | 13,824 | ▼ 12.3% | 2,400 MW | 998 MW | 1 | — |
| Crook County | 7,852 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Johnson County | 8,908 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Powder River County MT | 1,781 | ▲ 24.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Sheridan County | 33,241 | ▲ 9.6% | 15 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Weston County | 6,840 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Wyoming
Campbell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Campbell County, Wyoming?
3 utilities have service territory in Campbell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Powder River Energy Corp, City of Gillette - (WY), Black Hills Power, Inc.. The largest, Powder River Energy Corp, charged residential customers 11.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Gillette, WY in?
Gillette is in Campbell County, Wyoming. About 34,024 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Campbell County?
9 operating plants with 1,362 MW of capacity. The largest is Dry Fork Station (484 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Campbell County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Campbell County.
Is Campbell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 24,657 jobs in 2025 against 25,178 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Campbell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Campbell County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.