Alameda County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oakland, Fremont and Hayward
Alameda County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 30 data centers in Alameda County, 6% of California's total. Alameda County is home to Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and Berkeley. 477 MW of new generation is planned here across 17 units, led by IP Aramis, LLC (wind). 301 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Construction employs 44,885, down 9.3% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Alameda County
Alameda County is home to Oakland, Fremont, Hayward and Berkeley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ashland, Castro Valley, Cherryland, Fairview, San Lorenzo, Sunol.
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 Alameda County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,680,489 | 1,636,630 | ▼ 2.6% | 7th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 793,213 | 783,094 | ▼ 1.3% | 51st of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $79,591 | $101,979 | ▲ 28.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49,479 | 44,885 | ▼ 9.3% | 43rd of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,510 | 5,616 | ▼ 13.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 717 | 691 | ▼ 3.6% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 146 | 212 | ▲ 45.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,340 | 7,163 | ▲ 13.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.9% | ▲ 2.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 64 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 78 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 477 MW | 35% of today's fleet | 13th of 30 by size |
Its power plants have 1,348 MW of capacity, 70% of it natural gas. 78 MW has retired here since 2019, including Dynegy Oakland Power Plant (petroleum, 74 MW, 2021). 64 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Alameda County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. Employers here counted 783,094 jobs in 2025, down 1.3% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 5,616, down 13.7% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $117,373 a year. 1,636,630 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020, 7th of 58 California counties by population.
Who powers Alameda County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −13 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Alameda County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,047,461 | 39.62¢ | 30% |
| Alameda Municipal Power | Municipal | Bundled | 33,174 | 22.98¢ | 61% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 48% |
| Port of Oakland | — | — | — | — | — |
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 31
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 948 MW | 70% |
| Wind | 207 MW | 15% |
| Petroleum | 149 MW | 11% |
| Other technologies | 24 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 16 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell City Energy Center | Russell City Energy Company LLC | Natural gas | 655 MW | 2013 |
| Mariposa Energy Project | Diamond Generating Corporation | Natural gas | 200 MW | 2012 |
| Dynegy Oakland Power Plant | Dynegy Oakland, LLC | Petroleum | 149 MW | 1978 |
| Golden Hills Wind | Golden Hills Wind, LLC | Wind | 86 MW | 2015 |
| Summit Winds | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Wind | 58 MW | 2021 |
| Alameda | Northern California Power Agny | Natural gas | 55 MW | 1986 |
Planned generation 17
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aramis I Solar Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | IP Aramis, LLC |
| Aramis I Solar Project | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | IP Aramis, LLC |
| Mulqueeney Wind Energy | Onshore Wind Turbine | 80 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Mulqueeney Wind Energy LLC |
| Sand Hill C | Onshore Wind Turbine | 80 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Viracocha Wind LLC |
| Dynegy Oakland Power Plant | Batteries | 43 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Dynegy Oakland, LLC |
| Rooney Ranch | Onshore Wind Turbine | 21 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Viracocha Wind LLC |
| Sand Hill B | Onshore Wind Turbine | 17 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Viracocha Wind LLC |
| Sand Hill A | Onshore Wind Turbine | 14 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Viracocha Wind LLC |
| NorCal FPV 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 10 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Madison Energy Investments LLC |
| 7999 Gateway Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Coast Energy Holdings, LLC |
| NorCal FPV 1 (Pond 2) | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | NorCal FPV 1, LLC |
| Fremont CA AutoFactory | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Tesla Inc. |
| Fremont CA AutoFactory | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Tesla Inc. |
| Gateway#1&2 (Newark CA) | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Coast Energy Holdings, LLC |
| San Leandro 10 - sleba702 | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
| Fremont CA AutoFactory | Solar Photovoltaic | 0 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Tesla Inc. |
| Fremont CA AutoFactory | Solar Photovoltaic | 0 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Tesla Inc. |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynegy Oakland Power Plant | Petroleum | 74 MW | 2021 |
| Santa Rita Jail Hybrid | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2023 |
| CSU East Bay | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Alameda County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 783,094 | $101,979 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 44,885 | $110,642 | 1.08 |
| Electrical contractors | 5,616 | $117,373 | 0.99 |
| Power and communication line construction | 691 | $118,190 | 0.55 |
| Electric utilities | 212 | $198,823 | 0.10 |
| Data processing and hosting | 7,163 | $312,965 | 2.94 |
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 Alameda County
30 data centers in Alameda County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Alameda County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Alameda County, Santa Clara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda County | 1,636,630 | ▼ 1.3% | 1,348 MW | 477 MW | 30 | — |
| Contra Costa County | 1,170,070 | ▲ 1.4% | 4,240 MW | 8 MW | 6 | — |
| San Francisco County | 826,079 | ▼ 8.4% | 24 MW | — | 18 | — |
| San Joaquin County | 823,815 | ▲ 12.5% | 1,609 MW | 360 MW | 6 | 1 |
| Santa Clara County | 1,914,391 | ● 0.0% | 1,887 MW | 50 MW | 197 | — |
| Stanislaus County | 557,719 | ▲ 3.1% | 1,505 MW | 100 MW | 6 | 1 |
More of California
Alameda County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Alameda County, California?
4 utilities have service territory in Alameda County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Alameda Municipal Power, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration, Port of Oakland. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Oakland, CA in?
Oakland is in Alameda County, California. About 440,838 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fremont, CA in?
Fremont is in Alameda County, California. About 226,442 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hayward, CA in?
Hayward is in Alameda County, California. About 157,113 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Alameda County?
31 operating plants with 1,348 MW of capacity. The largest is Russell City Energy Center (655 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Alameda County?
477 MW across 17 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 301 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is IP Aramis, LLC.
Are there data centers in Alameda County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 30 data centers in Alameda County.
Is Alameda County adding jobs?
Employers counted 783,094 jobs in 2025 against 793,213 in 2019 (-1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 49,479 to 44,885.
Does Alameda County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Alameda County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.