Glenn County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Orland and Willows
Glenn 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. Glenn County is home to Orland and Willows. Construction employs 226, down 32.5% since 2019. Next door, Mendocino County has 2 data centers. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 77% of it hydro. Employers here counted 9,713 jobs in 2025, up 2.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Glenn County
Glenn County is home to Orland and Willows.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Artois, Elk Creek, Hamilton City.
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 Glenn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,889 | 28,141 | ▼ 2.6% | 47th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,512 | 9,713 | ▲ 2.1% | 35th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,477 | $55,523 | ▲ 27.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 335 | 226 | ▼ 32.5% | 51st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.7% | 7.1% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Glenn 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. Unemployment was 7.1% in August 2026, against 6.7% in 2019. 28,141 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Glenn County
Utilities with service territory in Glenn 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 5 MW | 77% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 23% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Gorge | City of Santa Clara - (CA) | Hydro | 5 MW | 1986 |
| Adapture CA2, LLC | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2016 |
The Glenn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,713 | $55,523 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 226 | $62,534 | 0.44 |
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 Glenn County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Glenn County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Mendocino County.
Glenn County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Glenn County, Butte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn County | 28,141 | ▲ 2.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Butte County | 209,211 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Colusa County | 21,836 | ▼ 0.9% | 749 MW | — | — | — |
| Lake County | 67,772 | ▲ 6.1% | 353 MW | — | — | — |
| Mendocino County | 88,122 | ▼ 1.4% | 23 MW | 1 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Tehama County | 64,665 | ▲ 4.1% | 77 MW | — | — | — |
More of California
Glenn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Glenn County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Glenn 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 Glenn County?
2 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is Stony Gorge (5 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Glenn County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Glenn County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mendocino County.
Is Glenn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,713 jobs in 2025 against 9,512 in 2019 (+2.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 335 to 226.
Does Glenn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Glenn County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.