Carbon County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rawlins and Saratoga
New generation is lining up in Carbon County. 3,557 MW of new generation is planned here across 5 units, led by Power Company of Wyoming LLC (wind), the largest pipeline among Wyoming's counties. 3,550 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 44, up 100.0% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $98,957 a year. Carbon County is home to Rawlins, Saratoga and Hanna. Construction employs 446, down 35.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1,481 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Carbon County
Carbon County is home to Rawlins, Saratoga and Hanna.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arlington, Ryan Park.
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 Carbon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,508 | 14,013 | ▼ 3.4% | 12th of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,044 | 6,365 | ▼ 9.6% | 22nd of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,840 | $61,004 | ▲ 22.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 688 | 446 | ▼ 35.2% | 14th of 14 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22 | 44 | ▲ 100.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 29 | ▲ 93.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 2.9% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,481 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 145 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3,557 MW | 193% of today's fleet | 1st of 6 by size |
Its power plants have 1,847 MW of capacity, 95% of it wind, the 4th largest fleet in Wyoming. 145 MW has retired here since 2019, including Rock River I LLC (wind, 50 MW, 2022). Employers here counted 6,365 jobs in 2025, down 9.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Carbon County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.44¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.98¢ median for Wyoming utilities. 14,013 people live here, down 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Carbon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,336 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carbon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 118,130 | 13.44¢ | 16% |
| High Plains Power Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,767 | 13.71¢ | 5% |
| Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 569 | 17.50¢ | 43% |
| Carbon Power & Light, 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1,755 MW | 95% |
| Hydro | 88 MW | 5% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 0% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 0% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Creek Wind | PacifiCorp | Wind | 590 MW | 2025 |
| TB Flats | PacifiCorp | Wind | 503 MW | 2021 |
| Ekola Flats | PacifiCorp | Wind | 251 MW | 2020 |
| Seven Mile Hill | PacifiCorp | Wind | 146 MW | 2008 |
| Foote Creek Rim | PacifiCorp | Wind | 135 MW | 2024 |
| Dunlap | PacifiCorp | Wind | 130 MW | 2010 |
Planned generation 5
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 1,303 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2032 | Power Company of Wyoming LLC |
| Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 850 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2031 | Power Company of Wyoming LLC |
| Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 844 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2031 | Power Company of Wyoming LLC |
| Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 554 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2033 | Power Company of Wyoming LLC |
| Two Rivers Wind Facility | Onshore Wind Turbine | 6 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Two Rivers Wind LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock River I LLC | Wind | 50 MW | 2022 |
| Foote Creek I | Wind | 41 MW | 2023 |
| Foote Creek III | Wind | 25 MW | 2023 |
| Foote Creek IV | Wind | 17 MW | 2023 |
The Carbon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,365 | $61,004 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 446 | $83,461 | 1.32 |
| Electrical contractors | 44 | $98,957 | 0.96 |
| Electric utilities | 29 | $107,894 | 1.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 3 | $192,812 | 0.15 |
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 Carbon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carbon County. Wyoming has 2 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Moffat County.
Carbon County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Carbon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County | 14,013 | ▼ 9.6% | 1,847 MW | 3,557 MW | — | — |
| Albany County | 38,558 | ▲ 9.2% | 487 MW | 504 MW | — | — |
| Converse County | 13,824 | ▼ 12.3% | 2,400 MW | 998 MW | 1 | — |
| Fremont County | 39,464 | ▲ 1.6% | 31 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Jackson County CO | 1,211 | ▼ 4.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Moffat County CO | 13,122 | ▼ 3.1% | 1,577 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
| Natrona County | 80,526 | ▲ 2.6% | 250 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Routt County CO | 25,329 | ▲ 4.8% | 465 MW | — | — | — |
| Sweetwater County | 41,267 | ▼ 8.7% | 2,500 MW | — | — | — |
More of Wyoming
Carbon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carbon County, Wyoming?
5 utilities have service territory in Carbon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, High Plains Power Inc, Yampa Valley Electric Assn Inc, Carbon Power & Light, Inc. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 13.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Carbon County?
9 operating plants with 1,847 MW of capacity. The largest is Rock Creek Wind (590 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Carbon County?
3,557 MW across 5 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3,550 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Power Company of Wyoming LLC.
Are there data centers in Carbon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carbon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Converse County.
Is Carbon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,365 jobs in 2025 against 7,044 in 2019 (-9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 688 to 446.
Does Carbon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carbon County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.