Lincoln County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kemmerer, Afton and Star Valley Ranch
Lincoln County is where a large share of Wyoming's next power plants are planned. Construction employs 997, up 26.8% since 2019, and construction is 2.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Lincoln County is home to Kemmerer, Afton, Star Valley Ranch and Alpine. 500 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by US SFR Owner LLC (nuclear), the 5th largest pipeline among Wyoming's counties. Employers here counted 7,326 jobs in 2025, up 12.7% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 23 Wyoming counties). Its power plants have 864 MW of capacity, 54% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Wyoming.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
Lincoln County is home to Kemmerer, Afton, Star Valley Ranch and Alpine.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alpine Northeast, Alpine Northwest, Auburn, Bedford, Etna, Fairview, Fontenelle, Freedom, Grover, Nordic, Oakley, Osmond, Smoot, Taylor, Turnerville.
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 Lincoln County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,654 | 21,180 | ▲ 7.8% | 10th of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,501 | 7,326 | ▲ 12.7% | 1st of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,615 | $64,856 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 786 | 997 | ▲ 26.8% | 3rd of 14 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 2.4% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 500 MW | 58% of today's fleet | 5th of 6 by size |
Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 98, at an average $65,037 a year. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Lincoln County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.44¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.98¢ median for Wyoming utilities. 21,180 people live here, up 7.8% since 2020, 10th of 23 Wyoming counties by population.
Who powers Lincoln County
Utilities with service territory in Lincoln County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 118,130 | 13.44¢ | 16% |
| Lower Valley Energy Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,827 | 6.44¢ | 32% |
| Bridger Valley 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 470 MW | 54% |
| Coal | 381 MW | 44% |
| Hydro | 13 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naughton | PacifiCorp | Coal | 707 MW | 1963 |
| Shute Creek Facility | Exxon Mobil Production Co | Natural gas | 144 MW | 2005 |
| Fontenelle | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 10 MW | 1968 |
| Swift Creek | Lower Valley Energy Inc | Hydro | 2 MW | 2009 |
| Strawberry Creek | Lower Valley Energy Inc | Hydro | 2 MW | 1940 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kemmerer Unit 1 | Nuclear | 500 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | US SFR Owner LLC |
The Lincoln County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,326 | $64,856 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 997 | $57,954 | 2.57 |
| Electrical contractors | 98 | $65,037 | 1.85 |
| Data processing and hosting | 7 | $123,656 | 0.31 |
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 Lincoln County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lincoln County. Wyoming has 2 local measures on record statewide.
Lincoln County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Lincoln County, Sweetwater 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 21,180 | ▲ 12.7% | 864 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Bear Lake County ID | 6,727 | ▲ 18.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Bonneville County ID | 135,771 | ▲ 18.7% | 611 MW | 359 MW | — | — |
| Caribou County ID | 7,252 | ▼ 1.3% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Rich County UT | 2,687 | ▲ 20.4% | 58 MW | — | — | — |
| Sublette County | 8,929 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Sweetwater County | 41,267 | ▼ 8.7% | 2,500 MW | — | — | — |
| Teton County | 23,333 | ▲ 11.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Uinta County | 20,728 | ● 0.0% | 285 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Wyoming
Lincoln County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lincoln County, Wyoming?
4 utilities have service territory in Lincoln County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Lower Valley Energy Inc, Bridger Valley Elec Assn, Inc, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 13.44¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lincoln County?
5 operating plants with 864 MW of capacity. The largest is Naughton (707 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Lincoln County?
500 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is US SFR Owner LLC.
Are there data centers in Lincoln County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lincoln County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bonneville County.
Is Lincoln County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,326 jobs in 2025 against 6,501 in 2019 (+12.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 786 to 997.
Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lincoln County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.