Power Supply Chain and Demand in California
CAISO runs most of California's grid. 20,049 MW of new generation is planned in California, 8,085 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 3,364 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 482 data centers are identified in the state, with 518 MW of data center load in tracked grid queues. Residential electricity averaged 33.25¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +2.5% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, and construction employment is -0.8% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 48 local moratoria or restrictions for California across all statuses (30 in force) and 9 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in California
California is at the center of the build-out: the demand is here and the construction economy has moved with it. The data center industry now accounts for 3.9% of California's economy, the 2nd largest share of any state (the median state is 1.8%), counting the industry's in-state suppliers and payrolls. Data processing and hosting jobs grew 57.8% from 2019 to 2025, 9th of 46 states that disclose the industry. Planned generation equals 18% of the power plants California runs today, 16th of 51 (the median state plans 15%). Pushback is organized: the SAVRN trackers hold 48 local moratoria or restrictions in California, 7th in the country.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 893.6k | 886.2k | ▼ 0.8% | 44th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 112,727 | 122,326 | ▲ 8.5% | 39th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,901 | 20,070 | ▲ 12.1% | 30th of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 51,853 | 81,824 | ▲ 57.8% | 9th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 4.4% | 5.1% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 32.45¢ | 33.25¢ | ▲ 2.5% | 44th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 109.6 GW operating | 20.0 GW planned | 18% of fleet | 16th of 51 |
Where California ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Among its neighbors, California leads on data center share of state gdp (3.9%), ahead of Oregon (3.3%).
County spotlight
Santa Clara County holds the most data centers on record in California (197), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +18.4% since 2019 to 10,214 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Fresno County: 3,546 MW, led by Intersect USA, LLC (battery storage). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Kern County, where contractor jobs grew 53.0% to 2,499.
Where California sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- CAISO
- Operating capacity
- 109.6 GW
- Planned generation
- 20,049 MW
- Under construction or built
- 8,085 MW
- Data centers identified
- 482
- Data center load in queues
- 518 MW
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 5.1%
- Residential price change
- +2.5%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
California, county by county
58 counties in California. Planned generation sits in 30 of them, data centers stand in 28, and local measures are on record in 9. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 46
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara County | 197 | 50 MW | 50 MW | Kifer Energy Storage, LLC | 10,214 | ▲ 18.4% | — | — | |
| Los Angeles County | 77 | 1,236 MW | 839 MW | San Gabriel Project LLC | 19,529 | ▲ 0.9% | 2 (0 in force) | 2 | |
| San Diego County | 31 | 224 MW | 10 MW | JVR Energy Park LLC | 12,988 | ▲ 22.4% | — | — | |
| Alameda County | 30 | 477 MW | 301 MW | IP Aramis, LLC | 5,616 | ▼ 13.7% | — | — | |
| Orange County | 30 | — | — | — | 13,450 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | |
| Sacramento County | 21 | 660 MW | 300 MW | Sacramento Valley Energy Center, LLC | 6,442 | ▲ 29.5% | — | — | |
| San Francisco County | 18 | — | — | — | 3,490 | ▼ 19.2% | — | — | |
| San Mateo County | 10 | 3 MW | — | AMERESCO Ox Mountain Energy LLC | 1,730 | ▲ 15.3% | — | — | |
| Riverside County | 7 | 3,048 MW | 948 MW | Grace Orchard Interconnection, LLC | 6,932 | ▼ 0.2% | — | 1 | |
| San Joaquin County | 6 | 360 MW | 146 MW | Zeus BESS LLC | 1,889 | ▲ 17.3% | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Stanislaus County | 6 | 100 MW | — | Vesper Energy Development LLC | 1,423 | ▲ 26.9% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Contra Costa County | 6 | 8 MW | 8 MW | Pittsburg RV & Boat Storage, LLC | 2,692 | ▼ 7.7% | — | — | |
| San Bernardino County | 5 | 1,500 MW | 684 MW | 99MT 8me, LLC | 6,172 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | |
| San Luis Obispo County | 5 | 600 MW | — | Premium Energy Holdings | 807 | ▲ 5.8% | — | — | |
| Fresno County | 4 | 3,546 MW | 575 MW | Intersect USA, LLC | 3,208 | ▲ 40.0% | — | — | |
| Santa Barbara County | 4 | 10 MW | 10 MW | RPCA Storage 1, LLC | 967 | ▲ 29.5% | — | — | |
| Kern County | 3 | 3,420 MW | 3,040 MW | 26SB 8me LLC | 2,499 | ▲ 53.0% | — | 1 | |
| Solano County | 3 | 60 MW | — | Vaca Dixon BESS LLC | 1,127 | ▲ 9.8% | — | — | |
| Napa County | 3 | 26 MW | 2 MW | Laketricity USA Inc. | 342 | — | — | — | |
| Yolo County | 3 | 26 MW | — | Emeren US, LLC | 481 | ▲ 34.4% | — | — | |
| Ventura County | 2 | 135 MW | — | Hecate Grid Gwent Storage 1, LLC | 1,497 | ▲ 1.0% | — | — | |
| Mendocino County | 2 | 1 MW | — | Form Energy Inc. | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Sonoma County | 2 | — | — | — | 1,860 | ▲ 8.6% | — | — | |
| Placer County | 1 | 1,023 MW | 518 MW | Clenera DevCo LLC | 1,782 | ▲ 14.5% | — | — | |
| Imperial County | 1 | 662 MW | — | 90FI 8me, LLC | — | — | 3 (1 in force) | 1 | |
| Butte County | 1 | — | — | — | 446 | ▼ 23.6% | — | — | |
| Santa Cruz County | 1 | — | — | — | 436 | ▲ 3.1% | — | — | |
| Shasta County | 1 | — | — | — | 391 | — | — | — | |
| Inyo County | — | 1,000 MW | — | Premium Energy Holdings | 39 | ▲ 44.4% | — | — | |
| Tulare County | — | 625 MW | 225 MW | 22SV 8ME LLC | 855 | ▲ 22.0% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Kings County | — | 612 MW | — | Westlands Cherry, LLC | 255 | ▲ 140.6% | — | — | |
| Merced County | — | 424 MW | 424 MW | Zeta Solar, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Sutter County | — | 200 MW | — | Vesper Energy Development LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Monterey County | — | 6 MW | — | Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt | 711 | — | — | — | |
| Yuba County | — | 4 MW | 4 MW | ZGlobal Inc | 195 | ▲ 9.6% | — | — | |
| Madera County | — | 3 MW | — | ZGlobal Inc | 154 | — | — | — | |
| El Dorado County | — | — | — | — | 1,910 | ▼ 5.3% | — | — | |
| Nevada County | — | — | — | — | 383 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | |
| San Benito County | — | — | — | — | 203 | ▲ 0.5% | — | — | |
| Tehama County | — | — | — | — | 94 | — | — | — | |
| Del Norte County | — | — | — | — | 22 | ▲ 22.2% | — | — | |
| Mariposa County | — | — | — | — | 22 | ▲ 57.1% | — | — | |
| Colusa County | — | — | — | — | 14 | ▲ 7.7% | — | — | |
| Tuolumne County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | |
| Calaveras County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Humboldt County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 (1 in force) | — |
Every county in California 58
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 103
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | Santa Clara County | 101 | — | 1 | GI Partners Santa Clara Data Center (2805 Bowers Avenue) | |
| San Jose | Santa Clara County | 55 | — | 1 | San Jose Data Center Pipeline (multiple Equinix and other projects) | |
| Los Angeles | Los Angeles County | 50 | — | — | — | |
| San Diego | San Diego County | 30 | — | — | — | |
| Sunnyvale | Santa Clara County | 20 | — | — | — | |
| San Francisco | San Francisco County | 18 | 1 (0 in force) | — | San Francisco supervisors propose 45-day moratorium on new data centers Proposed | |
| Irvine | Orange County | 16 | — | — | — | |
| Fremont | Alameda County | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Mountain View | Santa Clara County + Contra Costa County | 9 | — | — | — | |
| Hayward | Alameda County | 8 | 1 (0 in force) | — | Council starts process to prohibit future data center approvals Proposed | |
| El Segundo | Los Angeles County | 8 | — | — | — | |
| McClellan Park | Sacramento County | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Modesto | Stanislaus County | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Rancho Cordova | Sacramento County | 6 | — | — | — | |
| Riverside | Riverside County | 5 | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed 90-day data center moratorium Proposed | |
| Anaheim | Orange County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Milpitas | Santa Clara County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Stockton | San Joaquin County | 5 | — | — | — | |
| Fresno | Fresno County | 4 | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed 10-year citywide data center prohibition Proposed | |
| Burbank | Los Angeles County + Santa Clara County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Emeryville | Alameda County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Santa Ana | Orange County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Tustin | Orange County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Vernon | Los Angeles County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Bakersfield | Kern County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Fairfield | Solano County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Hawthorne | Los Angeles County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Napa | Napa County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Newark | Alameda County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Palo Alto | Santa Clara County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Sacramento | Sacramento County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| West Sacramento | Yolo County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Oakland | Alameda County | 2 | 1 (0 in force) | 1 | Oakland Weighs Data Center Moratorium as Opposition Mounts Proposed | |
| Concord | Contra Costa County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Manchester | Mendocino County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Menlo Park | San Mateo County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Moffett Field | — | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Ontario | San Bernardino County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Pleasanton | Alameda County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| San Bernardino | San Bernardino County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| San Mateo | San Mateo County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| South San Francisco | San Mateo County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Calexico | Imperial County | 1 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Permanent citywide data center ban In force | |
| Gilroy | Santa Clara County | 1 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Proposed urgency moratorium on data center applications In force | |
| Palm Springs | Riverside County | 1 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Two-year data center moratorium, extended Sept. 30, 2026 In force | |
| Agoura Hills | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Bay Point | Contra Costa County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Berkeley | Alameda County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Brisbane | San Mateo County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Burlingame | San Mateo County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Citrus Heights | Sacramento County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| La Mirada | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Long Beach | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Marina del Rey | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Menifee | Riverside County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Orange | Orange County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Oroville | Butte County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Palmdale | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Pasadena | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Petaluma | Sonoma County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Redding | Shasta County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Redondo Beach | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Redwood City | San Mateo County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Rialto | San Bernardino County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Rohnert Park | Sonoma County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Roseville | Placer County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| San Ramon | Contra Costa County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Santa Fe Springs | Los Angeles County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Santa Paula | Ventura County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Stanford | Santa Clara County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Vista | San Diego County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Walnut Creek | Contra Costa County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Imperial | Imperial County | — | 1 (1 in force) | 1 | Emergency data center moratorium In force | |
| Alhambra | Los Angeles County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers with no end date In force | |
| Angels Camp | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 45-day urgency moratorium on data centers In force | |
| Baldwin Park | Los Angeles County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers for a stated term In force | |
| Calipatria | Imperial County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Permanent data center ban (in development) Proposed | |
| City of Brawley | Imperial County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City of Brawley (data center moratorium passed 3-2), CA data center moratorium In force | |
| City of Calexico | Imperial County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | City of Calexico (proposed data center moratorium), CA data center moratorium (pause) Paused | |
| City of Imperial | Imperial County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | City of Imperial (hyperscale data center moratorium advancing), CA data center moratorium (proposed) Proposed | |
| Coachella | Riverside County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Permanent citywide ban on large-scale data centers In force | |
| Commerce | Los Angeles County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 45-day urgency moratorium on data centers In force | |
| Desert Hot Springs | Riverside County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through June 17, 2028 In force | |
| Dixon | Solano County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 45-day urgency moratorium on data centers In force | |
| El Monte | Los Angeles County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through February 2, 2027 In force | |
| Escondido | San Diego County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 45-day moratorium on data centers In force | |
| Eureka | Humboldt County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through October 17, 2026 In force | |
| Indio | Riverside County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Urgency data center moratorium In force | |
| Irwindale | Los Angeles County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Ordinance No. 821 banning data centers In force | |
| Lake Elsinore | Riverside County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through October 9, 2026 In force | |
| Montebello | Los Angeles County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Expired city moratorium on data centers through March 28, 2026 Failed / vetoed | |
| Monterey Park | Los Angeles County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Measure NDC permanent data center ban In force | |
| Morgan Hill | Santa Clara County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through October 10, 2026 In force | |
| Newsom Signs Legislation | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Newsom Signs Legislation to Regulate Data Centers in California In force | |
| Oakley | Contra Costa County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through April 14, 2027 In force | |
| Patterson | Stanislaus County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through July 15, 2027 In force | |
| Perris | Riverside County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Proposed ordinance prohibiting high-demand data centers Proposed | |
| Poway | San Diego County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Ordinance banning AI data centers, initial approval Proposed | |
| Richmond | Contra Costa County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Richmond becomes 3rd Bay Area city to impose data center moratorium In force | |
| Merced | Merced County | — | — | 1 | High-Speed Rail Corridor Data Center Deals (Merced/Madera) |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
California, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- Data center load increase by 2030
- 1.8 GW
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 109.6 GW
- Planned, all types
- 20,049 MW
- Under construction or built
- 8,085 MW
- Planned gas
- 114 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 3,364 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 4,721 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 482
- Operators
- 148
- Load in tracked queues
- 518 MW
- Utility large-load projects
- 4
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- -1.3%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 3.9%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 5.1% (-0.4 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- -0.8%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -6.9%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +8.5%
- Electrician median pay
- $76,160
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.05×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 33.25¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +2.5%
- All-sector price change
- +3.2%
- Total retail sales change
- +1.0%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 17
- Local measures (in force)
- 48 (30)
- Watchlist projects
- 9
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- —
- Dedicated tax incentive
- None listed
Planned power plants in California
Every planned generator in California in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 91 | 9,980 MW | 4,321 MW |
| Solar | 92 | 7,924 MW | 3,527 MW |
| Other | 22 | 1,687 MW | 24 MW |
| Wind | 8 | 344 MW | 213 MW |
| Natural gas | 9 | 114 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellefield 2 Solar & Energy Storage Farm | Kern | Batteries | 500 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | 26SB 8me LLC |
| Bellefield 2 Solar & Energy Storage Farm | Kern | Solar Photovoltaic | 500 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | 26SB 8me LLC |
| Grace Energy Center | Riverside | Solar Photovoltaic | 500 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Grace Orchard Interconnection, LLC |
| Grace Energy Center | Riverside | Batteries | 500 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Grace Orchard Interconnection, LLC |
| Pelicans Jaw Hybrid Solar | Kern | Solar Photovoltaic | 440 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2027 | Pelicans Jaw Solar LLC |
| Gabriel | Los Angeles | Batteries | 400 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | San Gabriel Project LLC |
| Marici | Los Angeles | Batteries | 400 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Marici Project LLC |
| Lycan Solar Project | Riverside | Batteries | 400 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | EDF Renewables Development, Inc. |
| Lycan Solar Project | Riverside | Solar Photovoltaic | 400 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | EDF Renewables Development, Inc. |
| Country Acres Clean Power LLC | Placer | Solar Photovoltaic | 344 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Clenera DevCo LLC |
| Darden II Solar | Fresno | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden IV Solar | Fresno | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden I Solar | Fresno | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden III Solar | Fresno | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden II Solar | Fresno | Batteries | 304 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
What the California build-out runs on
Who is building generation in California, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intersect USA, LLC | 8 | 2,586 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| Premium Energy Holdings | 7 | 1,600 MW | — | Other | 2 |
| Vesper Energy Development LLC | 9 | 1,080 MW | — | Battery storage | 5 |
| Grace Orchard Interconnection, LLC | 2 | 1,000 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| 26SB 8me LLC | 2 | 1,000 MW | 1,000 MW | Solar | 1 |
| EDF Renewables Development, Inc. | 2 | 800 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Pelicans Jaw Solar LLC | 2 | 678 MW | 678 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| IP Easley, LLC | 2 | 590 MW | 290 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Terra-Gen Operating Co-Hybrid | 4 | 578 MW | 578 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Clenera DevCo LLC | 2 | 516 MW | 516 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| SE Athos II, LLC | 3 | 402 MW | 402 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| San Gabriel Project LLC | 1 | 400 MW | 400 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| Marici Project LLC | 1 | 400 MW | 400 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| 99MT 8me, LLC | 2 | 400 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| 22SV 8ME LLC | 2 | 400 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded California footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names California. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check derived
52 of the 56 planned units of 50 MW or more in California that are not yet under construction (10,584 of 11,498 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Energy Center | Solar | 500 MW | Aug 2027 | Jul 2024 | — | Grace Orchard Interconnection, LLC |
| Grace Energy Center | Battery storage | 500 MW | Oct 2027 | Sep 2024 | — | Grace Orchard Interconnection, LLC |
| Lycan Solar Project | Solar | 400 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | EDF Renewables Development, Inc. |
| Darden IV Solar | Solar | 343 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden III Solar | Solar | 343 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden II Solar | Solar | 343 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden I Solar | Solar | 343 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden III Solar | Battery storage | 304 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden IV Solar | Battery storage | 304 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden II Solar | Battery storage | 304 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden I Solar | Battery storage | 304 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Easley Solar | Battery storage | 300 MW | Mar 2028 | Feb 2025 | — | IP Easley, LLC |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in California
482 data centers run by 148 operators are identified in California. The full list by city is on the California Data Center Map page. Utilities report 4 large customer projects here to EEI.
| Utility | Customer or type | MW stated | Investment stated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) | Microsoft | 77 MW | — | |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) | Equinix | 40 MW | — | |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) | Prologis | 99 MW | — | |
| Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) | Prologis | 400 MW | — |
The California jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 18,177.2k | ▲ 0.8% | ▲ 4.1% (+712.1k) |
| Construction | 886.2k | ▼ 0.8% | ▼ 0.8% (-7.4k) |
| Manufacturing | 1,203.8k | ▼ 0.8% | ▼ 6.9% (-89.0k) |
| Mining and logging | 18.1k | ▼ 1.6% | ▼ 20.6% (-4.7k) |
| Retail trade | 1,589.1k | ▲ 1.4% | ▼ 3.0% (-48.9k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 51,853 | 81,824 | ▲ 57.8% | $327,171 |
| Electrical contractors | 112,727 | 122,326 | ▲ 8.5% | $104,434 |
| Power and communication line construction | 17,901 | 20,070 | ▲ 12.1% | $136,143 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 22,488 | — | $189,472 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | 2,427 | — | $105,281 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 336,110 | $37,100 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 449,840 | $42,280 | 1.14× |
| Retail salespersons | 376,460 | $38,440 | 1.04× |
| All occupations | 18,213,700 | $58,240 | 1.57× |
| Construction laborers | 88,240 | $60,270 | 1.62× |
| Welders | 26,060 | $58,060 | 1.56× |
| HVAC mechanics | 35,130 | $72,560 | 1.96× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 47,660 | $72,830 | 1.96× |
| Electricians | 73,310 | $76,160 | 2.05× |
| Power plant operators | 2,610 | $105,210 | 2.84× |
| Power-line installers | 8,930 | $129,040 | 3.48× |
| Construction supervisors | 71,750 | $97,680 | 2.63× |
| Electrical engineers | 24,230 | $144,040 | 3.88× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to California
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in California
State measures 17
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB 1577 | Data center reporting requirements | In force | 2026-09 | |
| AB 2383 | Fair Share in Energy Act | In force | 2026-09 | |
| AB 2469 | Data centers: water use disclosures | In force | 2026-09 | |
| SB 1168 | Data center electricity rate structures | In force | 2026-09 | |
| SB 886 | California Technology Innovation and Ratepayer Protection Act | In force | 2026-09 | |
| SB 887 | CEQA treatment of data centers | In force | 2026-09 | |
| AB 2619 | California AB 2619 would establish comprehensive water reporting requirements with three data center size categories: hyperscale (>25 MW), mid-range (2-25 MW) | In force | 2026-09 | |
| — | Seven bills to improve data center transparency | In force | 2026-09 | |
| — | Newsom clamps down on California data centers as voters turn against the industry | In force | 2026-09 | |
| — | Cities get more say in data center development under new California laws | In force | 2026-09 | |
| — | Data centers are black boxes, but California wants to change that | In force | 2026-09 | |
| — | Executive Order on AI Safety | In force | 2026-09 | |
| — | Governors take major actions on AI | Paused | 2026-09 | |
| — | Bill to create California PUC inspector general | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 | |
| — | What bills did Gavin Newsom sign into law — or veto — in his final year leading California? | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 | |
| AB 222 | California Assembly Bill 222 would require data center operators to report energy consumption and efficiency metrics, including Power Usage Effectiveness | Failed / vetoed | 2026-08 | |
| SB 57 | California SB 57 directs the CPUC to assess whether investor-owned utility costs from new data center loads result in cost shifts to other retail customers. | In force | 2025-10 |
Delay Watchlist projects 9
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behring AI Campus / Data Center (415 20th St.) | Oakland | delayed | 20 MW | ||
| Imperial Valley $10B AI Data Center | Imperial | litigation active | — | ||
| Imperial Data Center (Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing / IVCM) | Imperial County (near city of Imperial) | delayed | — | ||
| GI Partners Santa Clara Data Center (2805 Bowers Avenue) | Santa Clara | delayed | — | ||
| Coachella Valley Technology Campus | Coachella (Riverside County) | cancelled | — | ||
| Eight Form El Segundo Data Center (750 N. Nash Street) | El Segundo (Los Angeles County) | withdrawn | — | ||
| Monterey Park Data Center (HMC StratCap) | Monterey Park (Los Angeles County) | cancelled | — | ||
| San Jose Data Center Pipeline (multiple Equinix and other projects) | San Jose | pending review | — | ||
| High-Speed Rail Corridor Data Center Deals (Merced/Madera) | Merced / Madera / Kern County | pending review | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (48) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The California Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
California's neighbors
California power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in California?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 20,049 MW of planned generators in California, 8,085 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is battery storage 50%, solar 40%, other 8%. The largest single unit is Bellefield 2 Solar & Energy Storage Farm (500 MW, 26SB 8me LLC). Owners plan to retire 3,364 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in California?
CAISO serves most of California as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. 518 MW of data center load sits in tracked queues, 9th in the country.
How much do data centers add to the California economy?
PwC's 2026 study for the Data Center Coalition credits the industry with 665,500 in-state jobs, $159.2B of GDP (3.9% of the state economy, 2nd of 51) and $14.1B in state and local taxes in 2024. These are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
Is planned generation in California on schedule?
52 of 56 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date. They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
Are electricity prices rising in California?
Residential electricity averaged 33.25¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +2.5% on a year earlier, the 44th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed -1.3%.
Where are the data centers in California?
482 data centers run by 148 operators are identified in California. The largest clusters are in Santa Clara County (197), Los Angeles County (77), San Diego County (31).
What do electricians earn in California?
The median electrician in California earned $76,160 in May 2025, 2.05 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $129,040 (BLS OEWS).
Does California have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 17 state-level measures (13 enacted) and 48 local moratoria or restrictions in California, 30 of them in force, 7th most in the country.
California across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.