Colusa County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Colusa and Williams
No data center or power plant project is on record in Colusa County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Unemployment was 9.4% in August 2026, against 12.5% in 2019. Colusa County is home to Colusa and Williams. Next door, Sutter County has 200 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 141, down 19.0% since 2019. Its power plants have 749 MW of capacity, 95% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Colusa County
Colusa County is home to Colusa and Williams.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arbuckle, College City, Grimes, Lodoga, Maxwell, Princeton, Stonyford.
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 Colusa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,858 | 21,836 | ▼ 0.1% | 50th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,558 | 9,472 | ▼ 0.9% | 49th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,127 | $61,616 | ▲ 39.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 174 | 141 | ▼ 19.0% | 49th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13 | 14 | ▲ 7.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 12.5% | 9.4% | ▼ 3.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Electrical contractors employ 14, up 7.7% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $71,153 a year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Colusa 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 9,472 jobs in 2025, down 0.9% from 2019. 21,836 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Colusa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Colusa 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% |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 712 MW | 95% |
| Other technologies | 33 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colusa Generating Station | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Natural gas | 712 MW | 2010 |
| Wadham Energy | Wadham Energy LP | Other technologies | 29 MW | 1989 |
| Abel Road Bioenergy | ACC Renewable Resources | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2022 |
| CFF Rice Mill Solar Plant | California Family Foods | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |
The Colusa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,472 | $61,616 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 141 | $69,140 | 0.28 |
| Electrical contractors | 14 | $71,153 | 0.20 |
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 Colusa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Colusa County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Colusa County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Colusa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colusa County | 21,836 | ▼ 0.9% | 749 MW | — | — | — |
| Butte County | 209,211 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Glenn County | 28,141 | ▲ 2.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 67,772 | ▲ 6.1% | 353 MW | — | — | — |
| Sutter County | 98,787 | ▲ 3.0% | 904 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Yolo County | 224,410 | ▲ 2.6% | 61 MW | 26 MW | 3 | — |
More of California
Colusa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Colusa County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Colusa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Colusa County?
4 operating plants with 749 MW of capacity. The largest is Colusa Generating Station (712 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Colusa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Colusa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sutter County.
Is Colusa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,472 jobs in 2025 against 9,558 in 2019 (-0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 174 to 141.
Does Colusa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Colusa County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.