Imperial County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to El Centro, Calexico and Brawley
Imperial County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Imperial County. Imperial County is home to El Centro, Calexico, Brawley and Imperial. Its power plants have 4,558 MW of capacity, 47% of it solar, the 7th largest fleet in California. The Moratorium Tracker holds 3 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium set aside by court; replacement under review”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Imperial Data Center (Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing / IVCM).
Cities and towns in Imperial County
Imperial County is home to El Centro, Calexico, Brawley and Imperial.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bombay Beach, Desert Shores, El Centro Naval Air Facility, Heber, Niland, Ocotillo, Palo Verde, Salton City, Salton Sea Beach, Seeley, Winterhaven.
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 Imperial County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 179,532 | 181,411 | ▲ 1.0% | 31st of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 63,438 | 67,955 | ▲ 7.1% | 15th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,655 | $56,305 | ▲ 35.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,544 | 1,676 | ▲ 8.5% | 20th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 21.1% | 21.9% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,376 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 137 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 662 MW | 15% of today's fleet | 8th of 30 by size |
662 MW of new generation is planned here across 11 units, led by 90FI 8me, LLC (solar), the 8th largest pipeline among California's counties. 1,376 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. 137 MW has retired here since 2019, including Heber Geothermal (other technologies, 59 MW, 2023). Construction employs 1,676, up 8.5% since 2019. Owners plan to retire 82 MW more by 2035, led by El Centro Hybrid in 2029. Employers here counted 67,955 jobs in 2025, up 7.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 21.9% in August 2026, against 21.1% in 2019. Southern California Edison Co is the largest utility serving Imperial County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 32.43¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 181,411 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Imperial County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,239 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Imperial County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,594,415 | 32.43¢ | 56% |
| Imperial Irrigation District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 142,078 | 17.91¢ | 43% |
| 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 73
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 2,156 MW | 47% |
| Other technologies | 810 MW | 18% |
| Battery storage | 701 MW | 15% |
| Natural gas | 513 MW | 11% |
| Wind | 265 MW | 6% |
| Hydro | 88 MW | 2% |
| Petroleum | 25 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro Hybrid | Imperial Irrigation District | Natural gas | 388 MW | 1952 |
| Vikings Energy Farm | Vikings Energy Farm, LLC | Solar | 287 MW | 2024 |
| Ocotillo Express LLC | Pattern Operators LP | Wind | 265 MW | 2012 |
| Mount Signal Solar Farm V | Imperial Valley Solar 3, LLC | Solar | 252 MW | 2018 |
| Big Rock Solar Farm | Big Rock ESS Assets, LLC | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Imperial Valley Solar, LLC | Imperial Valley Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2013 |
Planned generation 11
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingsley Solar Farm | Solar Photovoltaic | 225 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | 90FI 8me, LLC |
| Imperial Sun Solar | Batteries | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Imperial Sun Solar LLC |
| Imperial Sun Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Imperial Sun Solar LLC |
| Kingsley Solar Farm | Batteries | 74 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | 90FI 8me, LLC |
| CE&P Imperial Valley 1 | All Other | 50 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | California Ethanol Power, LLC |
| El Centro Hybrid | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 19 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Imperial Irrigation District |
| El Centro Hybrid | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 19 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Imperial Irrigation District |
| El Centro Hybrid | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 19 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Imperial Irrigation District |
| El Centro Hybrid | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 19 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Imperial Irrigation District |
| El Centro Hybrid | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 19 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Imperial Irrigation District |
| El Centro Hybrid | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 19 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Imperial Irrigation District |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heber Geothermal | Other technologies | 59 MW | 2023 |
| Second Imperial Geothermal | Other technologies | 48 MW | 2022 |
| Mesquite Lake Water & Power Plant 1 | Other technologies | 18 MW | 2022 |
| Ormesa I | Other technologies | 12 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| El Centro Hybrid | Natural gas | 82 MW | 2029 |
The Imperial County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 67,955 | $56,305 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,676 | $71,116 | 0.47 |
| Electric utilities | 537 | $132,411 | 2.92 |
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 Imperial County
1 data center in Imperial County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 3
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium set aside by court; replacement under review | Failed / vetoed | 2026-08 | |
| Imperial County (data center moratorium + by-right elimination advancing), CA data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 | |
| Calipatria City Council (Imperial County, interim 5-year moratorium introduced), CA data center moratorium (proposed) | Proposed | 2026-05 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Data Center (Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing / IVCM) | delayed | — |
Imperial County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Imperial County, Riverside 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial County | 181,411 | ▲ 7.1% | 4,558 MW | 662 MW | 1 | 3 |
| La Paz County AZ | 16,711 | ▲ 10.8% | 1,213 MW | 3,013 MW | — | — |
| Riverside County | 2,544,916 | ▲ 11.1% | 11,455 MW | 3,048 MW | 7 | — |
| San Diego County | 3,282,248 | ▲ 3.1% | 5,055 MW | 224 MW | 31 | — |
| Yuma County AZ | 224,449 | ▲ 4.1% | 2,353 MW | 1,118 MW | — | — |
More of California
Imperial County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Imperial County, California?
3 utilities have service territory in Imperial County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern California Edison Co, Imperial Irrigation District, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Southern California Edison Co, charged residential customers 32.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is El Centro, CA in?
El Centro is in Imperial County, California. About 44,382 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Calexico, CA in?
Calexico is in Imperial County, California. About 38,623 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Brawley, CA in?
Brawley is in Imperial County, California. About 28,008 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Imperial County?
73 operating plants with 4,558 MW of capacity. The largest is El Centro Hybrid (388 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Imperial County?
662 MW across 11 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is 90FI 8me, LLC.
Are there data centers in Imperial County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Imperial County.
Is Imperial County adding jobs?
Employers counted 67,955 jobs in 2025 against 63,438 in 2019 (+7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,544 to 1,676.
Does Imperial County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 3 local measures for Imperial County, 1 in force.