Butte County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chico, Oroville and Paradise
The data center boom is not abstract in Butte County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Butte County. Butte County is home to Chico, Oroville, Paradise and Gridley. Construction employs 3,783, down 12.0% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,176 MW of capacity, 98% of it hydro. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Lime Saddle (hydro, 2 MW, 2023).
Cities and towns in Butte County
Butte County is home to Chico, Oroville, Paradise and Gridley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bangor, Berry Creek, Butte Creek Canyon, Butte Meadows, Butte Valley, Cherokee, Clipper Mills, Cohasset, Concow, Durham, Forbestown, Forest Ranch, Honcut, Kelly Ridge, Magalia, Nord, Oroville East, Palermo, Rackerby, Richvale, Robinson Mill, South Oroville, Stirling City, Thermalito, Yankee Hill.
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 Butte County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 210,204 | 209,211 | ▼ 0.5% | 28th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 81,947 | 78,544 | ▼ 4.2% | 55th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,051 | $59,505 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,301 | 3,783 | ▼ 12.0% | 46th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 584 | 446 | ▼ 23.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 6.2% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Unemployment was 6.2% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Employers here counted 78,544 jobs in 2025, down 4.2% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Butte 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. 209,211 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 446, down 23.6% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $76,361 a year.
Who powers Butte County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Butte 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% |
| City of Biggs - (CA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Gridley - (CA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 48% |
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 21
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 1,152 MW | 98% |
| Natural gas | 11 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 0% |
| Battery storage | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward C Hyatt | California Dept. of Water Resources | Hydro | 644 MW | 1968 |
| Poe | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 143 MW | 1958 |
| Thermalito | California Dept. of Water Resources | Hydro | 115 MW | 1968 |
| Cresta | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 74 MW | 1949 |
| Woodleaf | South Feather Water and Power Agency | Hydro | 67 MW | 1963 |
| Forbestown | South Feather Water and Power Agency | Hydro | 42 MW | 1963 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lime Saddle | Hydro | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Kanaka | Hydro | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Butte County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 78,544 | $59,505 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,783 | $81,116 | 0.91 |
| Electrical contractors | 446 | $76,361 | 0.79 |
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 Butte County
1 data center in Butte County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Butte County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Butte County, Sutter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte County | 209,211 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Colusa County | 21,836 | ▼ 0.9% | 749 MW | — | — | — |
| Glenn County | 28,141 | ▲ 2.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Plumas County | 18,583 | ▲ 1.0% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Sutter County | 98,787 | ▲ 3.0% | 904 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Tehama County | 64,665 | ▲ 4.1% | 77 MW | — | — | — |
| Yuba County | 88,691 | ▲ 13.0% | 367 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of California
Butte County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Butte County, California?
4 utilities have service territory in Butte County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., City of Biggs - (CA), City of Gridley - (CA), WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Chico, CA in?
Chico is in Butte County, California. About 105,081 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Oroville, CA in?
Oroville is in Butte County, California. About 20,451 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Paradise, CA in?
Paradise is in Butte County, California. About 10,023 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Butte County?
21 operating plants with 1,176 MW of capacity. The largest is Edward C Hyatt (644 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Butte County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Butte County.
Is Butte County adding jobs?
Employers counted 78,544 jobs in 2025 against 81,947 in 2019 (-4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,301 to 3,783.
Does Butte County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Butte County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.