Fresno County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fresno, Clovis and Sanger
New generation is lining up in Fresno County. 3,546 MW of new generation is planned here across 22 units, led by Intersect USA, LLC (battery storage), the largest pipeline among California's counties. 575 MW of it is already under construction or built. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Fresno County. Its power plants have 5,884 MW of capacity, 42% of it hydro, the 5th largest fleet in California. Fresno County is home to Fresno, Clovis, Sanger and Reedley. 1,503 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Fresno County
Fresno County is home to Fresno, Clovis, Sanger and Reedley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Auberry, Big Creek, Biola, Bowles, Calwa, Cantua Creek, Caruthers, Centerville, Del Rey, Easton, Fort Washington, Friant, Lanare, Laton, Malaga, Mayfair, Millerton, Minkler, Monmouth, Old Fig Garden, Raisin City, Riverdale, Shaver Lake, Squaw Valley, Sunnyside, Tarpey Village, Three Rocks, Tranquillity, West Park, Westside.
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 Fresno County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,009,563 | 1,035,456 | ▲ 2.6% | 10th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 400,030 | 428,665 | ▲ 7.2% | 14th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,698 | $60,417 | ▲ 32.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,937 | 22,249 | ▲ 17.5% | 12th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,291 | 3,208 | ▲ 40.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 187 | 215 | ▲ 15.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 222 | 62 | ▼ 72.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.4% | 7.8% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,503 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 39 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3,546 MW | 60% of today's fleet | 1st of 30 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 3,208, up 40.0% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $84,088 a year. Construction employs 22,249, up 17.5% since 2019. 39 MW has retired here since 2019, including Rio Bravo Fresno (other technologies, 28 MW, 2024). Employers here counted 428,665 jobs in 2025, up 7.2% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Fresno 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. Unemployment was 7.8% in August 2026, against 7.4% in 2019. 1,035,456 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020, 10th of 58 California counties by population.
Who powers Fresno County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,464 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fresno 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% |
| Southern California Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,594,415 | 32.43¢ | 56% |
| Kings River Conservation Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| 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 105
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 2,454 MW | 42% |
| Solar | 1,832 MW | 31% |
| Natural gas | 1,051 MW | 18% |
| Battery storage | 515 MW | 9% |
| Other technologies | 28 MW | 0% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helms Pumped Storage | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 1,053 MW | 1984 |
| Panoche Energy Center | Panoche Energy Center, LLC | Natural gas | 432 MW | 2009 |
| Scarlet II Hybrid | EDPR Scarlet II LLC | Solar | 350 MW | 2024 |
| Fifth Standard Solar PV, LLC (Hybrid) | RWE Clean Energy | Battery storage | 287 MW | 2023 |
| RE Tranquillity | Southern Power Co | Battery storage | 277 MW | 2016 |
| Scarlet Solar (CA) | EDP Renewables North America LLC | Solar | 240 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 22
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darden II Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden IV Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden III Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden I Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 343 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden III Solar | Batteries | 304 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden IV Solar | Batteries | 304 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden I Solar | Batteries | 304 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| Darden II Solar | Batteries | 304 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
| EDPR CA Solar Park VI LLC (CA) Hybrid | Solar Photovoltaic | 201 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | EDPR CA Solar Park VI LLC |
| Key Energy Storage | Batteries | 190 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Key Energy Storage LLC |
| Sand Luis West | Solar Photovoltaic | 125 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Origis Energy USA, Inc |
| Midway BESS | Batteries | 125 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Midway BESS LLC |
| Key Energy Storage | Batteries | 75 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Key Energy Storage LLC |
| EDPR Scarlet III | Batteries | 70 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | EDPR Scarlet III LLC |
| Iron BESS | Batteries | 60 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Panoche BESS LLC |
| EDPR CA Solar Park VI LLC (CA) Hybrid | Batteries | 40 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | EDPR CA Solar Park VI LLC |
| Key Energy Storage | Batteries | 35 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Key Energy Storage LLC |
| Sand Luis West | Batteries | 31 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Origis Energy USA, Inc |
| Althea Avenue Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RPCA Solar 8, LLC |
| Pine Flat | Conventional Hydroelectric | 4 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Kings River Conservation Dist |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Bravo Fresno | Other technologies | 28 MW | 2024 |
| Fresno Cogen Partners | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2021 |
| Kings River Syphon | Hydro | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Fresno County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 428,665 | $60,417 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 22,249 | $81,488 | 0.98 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,208 | $84,088 | 1.04 |
| Electric utilities | 215 | $137,320 | 0.19 |
| Data processing and hosting | 62 | $117,135 | 0.05 |
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 Fresno County
4 data centers in Fresno County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Fresno County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Fresno County, Kings 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno County | 1,035,456 | ▲ 7.2% | 5,884 MW | 3,546 MW | 4 | — |
| Inyo County | 18,158 | ▼ 0.6% | 465 MW | 1,000 MW | — | — |
| Kings County | 154,327 | ▲ 6.5% | 2,820 MW | 612 MW | — | — |
| Madera County | 167,927 | ▲ 13.3% | 496 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Merced County | 297,260 | ▲ 6.0% | 849 MW | 424 MW | — | — |
| Mono County | 12,505 | ▲ 8.5% | 187 MW | — | — | — |
| Monterey County | 433,729 | ▲ 0.2% | 2,391 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| San Benito County | 70,082 | ▲ 7.7% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Tulare County | 485,146 | ▲ 5.6% | 1,415 MW | 625 MW | — | 1 |
More of California
Fresno County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fresno County, California?
4 utilities have service territory in Fresno County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co, Kings River Conservation Dist, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fresno, CA in?
Fresno is in Fresno County, California. About 555,549 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Clovis, CA in?
Clovis is in Fresno County, California. About 129,347 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Sanger, CA in?
Sanger is in Fresno County, California. About 27,228 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Fresno County?
105 operating plants with 5,884 MW of capacity. The largest is Helms Pumped Storage (1,053 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Fresno County?
3,546 MW across 22 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 575 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Intersect USA, LLC.
Are there data centers in Fresno County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Fresno County.
Is Fresno County adding jobs?
Employers counted 428,665 jobs in 2025 against 400,030 in 2019 (+7.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 18,937 to 22,249.
Does Fresno County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fresno County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.