Inyo County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bishop
Inyo County is a generation frontier for California. Inyo County is home to Bishop. 1,000 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Premium Energy Holdings (other technologies), the 7th largest pipeline among California's counties. Electrical contractors employ 39, up 44.4% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $68,312 a year. 107 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Inyo County
Inyo County is home to Bishop.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Pine, Cartago, Charleston View, Darwin, Dixon Lane-MeadowCreek, Furnace Creek, Homewood Canyon, Independence, Keeler, Lone Pine, Mesa, Olancha, Pearsonville, Round Valley, Shoshone, Tecopa, Trona, Valley Wells, West Bishop, Wilkerson.
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 Inyo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,989 | 18,158 | ▼ 4.4% | 52nd of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,731 | 7,687 | ▼ 0.6% | 46th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,305 | $62,420 | ▲ 37.8% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27 | 39 | ▲ 44.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 107 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,000 MW | 215% of today's fleet | 7th of 30 by size |
Its power plants have 465 MW of capacity, 58% of it other technologies. Southern California Edison Co is the largest utility serving Inyo 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. Employers here counted 7,687 jobs in 2025, down 0.6% from 2019. 18,158 people live here, down 4.4% since 2020.
Who powers Inyo County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +107 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Inyo 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% |
| Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Municipal | Bundled | 1,410,191 | 23.84¢ | 56% |
| Valley Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12 | 19.10¢ | 0% |
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 19
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 272 MW | 58% |
| Battery storage | 105 MW | 23% |
| Hydro | 81 MW | 17% |
| Solar | 7 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coso Finance Partners | Coso Operating Co LLC | Other technologies | 92 MW | 1987 |
| Coso Energy Developers | Coso Operating Co LLC | Other technologies | 90 MW | 1988 |
| Coso Power Developers | Coso Operating Co LLC | Other technologies | 90 MW | 1989 |
| Coso Battery Storage | Arevon Asset Management | Battery storage | 60 MW | 2022 |
| Control Gorge | Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Hydro | 38 MW | 1952 |
| Mordor ES1 | Mordor ES1 LLC | Battery storage | 25 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haiwee Pumped Storage Project | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Premium Energy Holdings |
| Haiwee Pumped Storage Project | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Premium Energy Holdings |
| Haiwee Pumped Storage Project | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Premium Energy Holdings |
| Haiwee Pumped Storage Project | Hydroelectric Pumped Storage | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Premium Energy Holdings |
The Inyo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,687 | $62,420 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 39 | $68,312 | 0.70 |
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 Inyo County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Inyo County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Nye County, Tulare County.
Inyo County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Inyo County, Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inyo County | 18,158 | ▼ 0.6% | 465 MW | 1,000 MW | — | — |
| Clark County NV | 2,407,226 | ▲ 11.4% | 14,194 MW | 4,230 MW | 28 | — |
| Esmeralda County NV | 729 | ▼ 5.9% | — | 26 MW | — | — |
| Fresno County | 1,035,456 | ▲ 7.2% | 5,884 MW | 3,546 MW | 4 | — |
| Kern County | 927,068 | ▲ 4.6% | 18,776 MW | 3,420 MW | 3 | — |
| Mono County | 12,505 | ▲ 8.5% | 187 MW | — | — | — |
| Nye County NV | 57,336 | ▲ 9.7% | 242 MW | — | — | 2 |
| San Bernardino County | 2,224,091 | ▲ 9.7% | 7,081 MW | 1,500 MW | 5 | — |
| Tulare County | 485,146 | ▲ 5.6% | 1,415 MW | 625 MW | — | 1 |
More of California
Inyo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Inyo County, California?
3 utilities have service territory in Inyo County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern California Edison Co, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power, Valley Electric Assn, Inc. The largest, Southern California Edison Co, charged residential customers 32.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Inyo County?
19 operating plants with 465 MW of capacity. The largest is Coso Finance Partners (92 MW, other technologies).
How much new power is planned in Inyo County?
1,000 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Premium Energy Holdings.
Are there data centers in Inyo County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Inyo County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clark County.
Is Inyo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,687 jobs in 2025 against 7,731 in 2019 (-0.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Inyo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Inyo County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.