Amador County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ione, Jackson and Sutter Creek
Amador 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. Amador County is home to Ione, Jackson, Sutter Creek and Plymouth. Unemployment was 5.8% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Next door, Sacramento County has 21 data centers and 660 MW of planned generation. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 419, up 0.7% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Amador County
Amador County is home to Ione, Jackson, Sutter Creek and Plymouth.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Amador Pines, Buckhorn, Buena Vista, Camanche North Shore, Camanche Village, Drytown, Fiddletown, Kirkwood, Lockwood, Martell, Pine Grove, Pioneer, Red Corral, River Pines, Volcano.
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 Amador County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,567 | 41,876 | ▲ 3.2% | 46th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,282 | 12,197 | ▼ 0.7% | 47th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,199 | $61,556 | ▲ 33.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 416 | 419 | ▲ 0.7% | 31st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 5.8% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 234 MW of capacity, 90% of it hydro. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Amador County, one of 2 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 12,197 jobs in 2025, down 0.7% from 2019. 41,876 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Amador County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Amador 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% |
| Kirkwood Meadows PUD | — | — | — | — | — |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 210 MW | 90% |
| Other technologies | 22 MW | 10% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electra | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 102 MW | 1948 |
| Tiger Creek | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 52 MW | 1931 |
| Salt Springs | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 42 MW | 1931 |
| Buena Vista Biomass Power | Buena Vista Biomass LLC | Other technologies | 22 MW | 2012 |
| West Point PH | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 14 MW | 1948 |
| Oaks HOA | Onyx Asset Services Group | Solar | 1 MW | 2025 |
The Amador County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,197 | $61,556 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 419 | $72,874 | 0.65 |
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 Amador County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Amador County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Calaveras County, San Joaquin County.
Amador County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Amador County, Sacramento 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amador County | 41,876 | ▼ 0.7% | 234 MW | — | — | — |
| Alpine County | 1,043 | ▲ 32.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Calaveras County | 46,605 | ▲ 3.6% | 285 MW | — | — | 1 |
| El Dorado County | 192,323 | ▲ 2.3% | 779 MW | — | — | — |
| Sacramento County | 1,618,460 | ▲ 7.9% | 1,750 MW | 660 MW | 21 | — |
| San Joaquin County | 823,815 | ▲ 12.5% | 1,609 MW | 360 MW | 6 | 1 |
More of California
Amador County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Amador County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Amador County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Kirkwood Meadows PUD. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Amador County?
6 operating plants with 234 MW of capacity. The largest is Electra (102 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Amador County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Amador County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sacramento County.
Is Amador County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,197 jobs in 2025 against 12,282 in 2019 (-0.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 416 to 419.
Does Amador County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Amador County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.