Crook County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sundance and Moorcroft
No data center or power plant project is on record in Crook County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Crook County is home to Sundance, Moorcroft and Pine Haven. Next door, Campbell County has 2 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 23, up 21.1% since 2019 against up 25.6% statewide, at an average $91,940 a year. Employers here counted 2,715 jobs in 2025, up 10.0% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 23 Wyoming counties). Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Crook County
Crook County is home to Sundance, Moorcroft and Pine Haven.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beulah.
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 Crook County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,183 | 7,852 | ▲ 9.3% | 19th of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,468 | 2,715 | ▲ 10.0% | 3rd of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,769 | $59,182 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 23 | ▲ 21.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 2.4% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
7,852 people live here, up 9.3% since 2020. Powder River Energy Corp is the largest utility serving Crook County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.73¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.98¢ median for Wyoming utilities.
Who powers Crook County
Utilities with service territory in Crook 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% |
| Southeast Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Crook County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Crook County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,715 | $59,182 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 23 | $91,940 | 1.17 |
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 Crook County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Crook County. Wyoming has 2 local measures on record statewide.
Crook County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Crook County, Campbell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crook County | 7,852 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Butte County SD | 10,856 | ▲ 3.2% | 105 MW | — | — | — |
| Campbell County | 48,145 | ▼ 2.1% | 1,362 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Carter County MT | 1,383 | ▲ 28.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County SD | 29,459 | ▲ 14.2% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Powder River County MT | 1,781 | ▲ 24.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Weston County | 6,840 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Wyoming
Crook County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Crook County, Wyoming?
4 utilities have service territory in Crook County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Powder River Energy Corp, City of Gillette - (WY), Black Hills Power, Inc., Southeast Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Powder River Energy Corp, charged residential customers 11.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Crook County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Crook County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Campbell County.
Is Crook County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,715 jobs in 2025 against 2,468 in 2019 (+10.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Crook County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Crook County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.