Weston County, Wyoming: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newcastle
Weston County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Weston County is home to Newcastle and Upton. Next door, Converse County has 1 data center and 998 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Powder River Energy Corp is the largest utility serving Weston 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. Employers here counted 2,356 jobs in 2025, up 0.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Weston County
Weston County is home to Newcastle and Upton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hill View Heights, Osage.
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 Weston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Wyoming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,820 | 6,840 | ▲ 0.3% | 21st of 23 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,345 | 2,356 | ▲ 0.5% | 14th of 23 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,584 | $55,636 | ▲ 30.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 2.7% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
6,840 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Weston County
Utilities with service territory in Weston 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% |
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,018 | 13.13¢ | 24% |
| Niobrara Electric Assn, 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 Weston County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Weston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,356 | $55,636 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 227 | $75,166 | 1.82 |
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 Weston County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Weston County. Wyoming has 2 local measures on record statewide.
Weston County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Weston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weston County | 6,840 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| 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% | — | — | — | — |
| Custer County SD | 9,431 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County SD | 29,459 | ▲ 14.2% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Niobrara County | 2,341 | ▼ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Pennington County SD | 116,792 | ▲ 8.8% | 278 MW | 100 MW | 2 | — |
More of Wyoming
Weston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Weston County, Wyoming?
3 utilities have service territory in Weston County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Powder River Energy Corp, Black Hills Power, Inc., Niobrara Electric Assn, Inc. The largest, Powder River Energy Corp, charged residential customers 11.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Weston County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Weston County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Converse County.
Is Weston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,356 jobs in 2025 against 2,345 in 2019 (+0.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Weston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Weston County. Wyoming has 2 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.