California · County record

Kern County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Name: Kern County, California power and economy record
Published: 2026-10-08
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Home to Bakersfield, Delano and Ridgecrest

Kern County is where a large share of California's next power plants are planned. Its power plants have 18,776 MW of capacity, 36% of it solar, the largest fleet in California. 7,839 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 3,420 MW of new generation is planned here across 33 units, led by 26SB 8me LLC (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among California's counties. 3,040 MW of it is already under construction or built. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Kern County. Kern County is home to Bakersfield, Delano, Ridgecrest and Wasco.

Rebuilt 2026-10-08 · refreshed weekly

18,776 MW

of operating power plants, mostly solar

3,420 MW

of new generation planned here, solar leading

data centers on the SAVRN Data Center Map

Population, 2025

927,068

▲ 2.3% since 2020

Jobs, 2025

347,044

▲ 4.6% since 2019

Unemployment

8.4%

▲ 0.6 pts vs 2019

Power plants

18,776 MW

268 plants operating▲ 67.7% fleet since 2019

Planned generation

3,420 MW

33 units

Data centers

SAVRN Data Center Map

Cities and towns

Cities and towns in Kern County

Kern County is home to Bakersfield, Delano, Ridgecrest and Wasco.

Bakersfield422,165 residents

Delano52,334 residents

Ridgecrest28,333 residents

Wasco26,525 residents

Shafter23,871 residents

Arvin19,820 residents

McFarland14,709 residents

California City13,300 residents

Tehachapi11,852 residents

Taft6,995 residents

Maricopa1,018 residents

Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alta Sierra, Bakersfield Country Club, Bear Valley Springs, Benton Park, Bodfish, Boron, Buttonwillow, Casa Loma, Cherokee Strip, China Lake Acres, Choctaw Valley, Cottonwood, Derby Acres, Di Giorgio, Dustin Acres, East Bakersfield, East Niles, Edison, Edmundson Acres, Edwards AFB, El Adobe, Fairfax, Fellows, Ford City, Frazier Park, Fuller Acres, Glennville, Golden Hills, Goodmanville, Greenacres, Greenfield, Hillcrest, Inyokern, Johannesburg, Keene, Kernville, La Cresta, Lake Isabella, Lake of the Woods, Lakeside and 37 more.

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.

Then and now

What changed in Kern County

Change since 2019 (population since 2020)

Population+2.3%

Total jobs+4.6%

Average pay+27.7%

Construction-1.2%

Electrical contractors+53.0%

Line construction-0.2%

Electric utilities+34.2%

−53%0+53%

Where Kern County ranks in California

Population927,06811th of 58

Job growth since 2019+4.6%22nd of 58

Construction growth-1.2%33rd of 51

Electrical contractor jobs2,49912th of 39

Operating power plants18,776 MW1st of 55

Planned generation3,420 MW2nd of 30

1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.

Measure	Then	Now	Change	Rank in California
Population (2020 → 2025)	905,960	927,068	▲ 2.3%	11th of 58 by size
Total jobs (2019 → 2025)	331,711	347,044	▲ 4.6%	22nd of 58 by growth
Average annual pay (2019 → 2025)	$48,354	$61,737	▲ 27.7%	—
Construction jobs (2019 → 2025)	16,286	16,086	▼ 1.2%	33rd of 51 by growth
Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025)	1,633	2,499	▲ 53.0%	—
Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025)	401	400	▼ 0.2%	—
Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025)	597	801	▲ 34.2%	—
Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026)	7.8%	8.4%	▲ 0.6pts	—
Generating capacity added since 2019	—	7,839 MW		—
Generating capacity retired since 2019	—	260 MW		—
Planned generation (Aug 2026)	—	3,420 MW	18% of today's fleet	2nd of 30 by size

1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including High-Speed Rail Corridor Data Center Deals (Merced/Madera). Electrical contractors employ 2,499, up 53.0% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $94,048 a year. 260 MW has retired here since 2019, including Sky River Wind Energy Center (wind, 77 MW, 2020). Construction employs 16,086, down 1.2% since 2019. Owners plan to retire 1 MW more by 2035, led by Bakersfield 111 in 2035. Employers here counted 347,044 jobs in 2025, up 4.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 8.4% in August 2026, against 7.8% in 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Kern 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. 927,068 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.

Power

Who powers Kern County

Operating fleet by fuel 18,776 MW

Natural gas 4,950 MW 26%Wind 3,677 MW 20%Solar 6,756 MW 36%Battery storage 3,225 MW 17%Hydro 104 MW 1%Other 64 MW <1%

Added since 2019 7,839 MW

Retired since 2019 260 MW

Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7,579 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.

Planned generation by fuel 3,420 MW

Solar 1,872 MW 55%Battery storage 1,549 MW 45%

Residential price per kWh, 2024

Pacific Gas & Electric Co.Investor Owned, 30% commercial39.62¢

Southern California Edison CoInvestor Owned, 56% commercial32.43¢

Median for California utilities: 20.66¢

Utilities with service territory in Kern 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%

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 268

Technology	Capacity	Share
Solar	6,756 MW	36%
Natural gas	4,950 MW	26%
Wind	3,677 MW	20%
Battery storage	3,225 MW	17%
Hydro	104 MW	1%
Other technologies	62 MW	0%
Petroleum	2 MW	0%

Largest plants	Owner	Technology	MW	Since
La Paloma Generating Plant	CXA La Paloma LLC	Natural gas	1,156 MW	2003
Bellefield Solar and Energy Storage Farm	50LW 8me LLC	Solar	1,000 MW	2025
Pastoria Energy Facility, LLC	Calpine Corp - Pastoria Energy Center	Natural gas	779 MW	2005
Sunrise Power LLC	Sunrise Power Co LLC	Natural gas	685 MW	2001
Elk Hills Power LLC	Elk Hills Power LLC	Natural gas	623 MW	2003
Eland Solar & Storage Center, Phase 1 Hy	68SF 8me LLC	Battery storage	460 MW	2024

Planned generation 33

Plant	Technology	MW	Status	Year	Owner
Bellefield 2 Solar & Energy Storage Farm	Solar Photovoltaic	500 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	26SB 8me LLC
Bellefield 2 Solar & Energy Storage Farm	Batteries	500 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	26SB 8me LLC
Pelicans Jaw Hybrid Solar	Solar Photovoltaic	440 MW	Built, not yet operating	2027	Pelicans Jaw Solar LLC
Pelicans Jaw Hybrid Solar	Batteries	238 MW	Built, not yet operating	2027	Pelicans Jaw Solar LLC
Sanborn Hybrid 3	Solar Photovoltaic	210 MW	Under construction (≤50%)	2026	Terra-Gen Operating Co-Hybrid
Sanborn Hybrid 3	Batteries	210 MW	Under construction (≤50%)	2026	Terra-Gen Operating Co-Hybrid
Bellefield 3 Solar and Battery Storage	Solar Photovoltaic	150 MW	Planned, approvals not started	2030	51LV 8me, LLC
Aratina Solar Center 2	Solar Photovoltaic	150 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	45MG 8me LLC
Bellefield 3 Solar and Battery Storage	Batteries	150 MW	Planned, approvals not started	2030	51LV 8me, LLC
Aratina Solar Center 2	Batteries	113 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	45MG 8me LLC
Sanborn Hybrid 3	Solar Photovoltaic	103 MW	Under construction (≤50%)	2026	Terra-Gen Operating Co-Hybrid
Rosamond South II	Batteries	92 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	Golden Fields Solar VI, LLC
Jasmine	Solar Photovoltaic	70 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2027	AES Clean Energy
Chalan	Solar Photovoltaic	65 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	Origis Energy USA, Inc
Jasmine	Batteries	64 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2027	AES Clean Energy
Sanborn Hybrid 3	Solar Photovoltaic	55 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	Terra-Gen Operating Co-Hybrid
Rosamond South II	Batteries	48 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	Golden Fields Solar VI, LLC
Syracuse and Tours Renewable Energy	Solar Photovoltaic	40 MW	Approvals received	2027	Vesper Energy Development LLC
Syracuse and Tours Renewable Energy	Batteries	40 MW	Approvals received	2027	Vesper Energy Development LLC
Windhub Solar B, LLC	Solar Photovoltaic	26 MW	Under construction (>50%)	2026	Windhub Solar B, LLC

Retired since 2019

Plant	Technology	MW	Year
Sky River Wind Energy Center	Wind	77 MW	2020
Mt Poso Cogeneration	Other technologies	62 MW	2024
Victory Garden Phase IV LLC	Wind	22 MW	2020
85 B	Wind	21 MW	2019

Scheduled to retire

Plant	Technology	MW	Year
Bakersfield 111	Solar	1 MW	2035

Jobs

The Kern County labor market

How concentrated each industry is here, compared with the U.S.

Construction0.87×

Electrical contractors1.00×

Line construction0.71×

Electric utilities0.85×

0.25×U.S. average4×

Industry (2025)	Jobs	Average pay	Concentration vs U.S.
All industries	347,044	$61,737	1.00
Construction	16,086	$81,382	0.87
Electrical contractors	2,499	$94,048	1.00
Power and communication line construction	400	$111,631	0.71
Electric utilities	801	$124,683	0.85

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

Data centers and local rules in Kern County

3 data centers in Kern County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.

Delay Watchlist 1

Project	Status	Cause	MW
High-Speed Rail Corridor Data Center Deals (Merced/Madera)	pending review	water dispute	—

Next door

Kern County and its neighbors

Of the 8 counties that border Kern County, Los Angeles 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
Kern County	927,068	▲ 4.6%	18,776 MW	3,420 MW	3	—
Inyo County	18,158	▼ 0.6%	465 MW	1,000 MW	—	—
Kings County	154,327	▲ 6.5%	2,820 MW	612 MW	—	—
Los Angeles County	9,694,934	▲ 0.3%	14,115 MW	1,236 MW	77	2
San Bernardino County	2,224,091	▲ 9.7%	7,081 MW	1,500 MW	5	—
San Luis Obispo County	282,367	▲ 1.5%	3,563 MW	600 MW	5	—
Santa Barbara County	442,065	▲ 5.1%	363 MW	10 MW	4	—
Tulare County	485,146	▲ 5.6%	1,415 MW	625 MW	—	1
Ventura County	830,851	▲ 1.5%	2,039 MW	135 MW	2	—

Keep going

More of California

All California countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →Los Angeles County9,694,934 peopleOpen →San Bernardino County2,224,091 peopleOpen →Ventura County830,851 peopleOpen →Tulare County485,146 peopleOpen →Santa Barbara County442,065 peopleOpen →

Questions

Kern County, answered from the record

Who provides electricity in Kern County, California?

2 utilities have service territory in Kern County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.

What county is Bakersfield, CA in?

Bakersfield is in Kern County, California. About 422,165 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

What county is Delano, CA in?

Delano is in Kern County, California. About 52,334 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

What county is Ridgecrest, CA in?

Ridgecrest is in Kern County, California. About 28,333 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

What power plants are in Kern County?

268 operating plants with 18,776 MW of capacity. The largest is La Paloma Generating Plant (1,156 MW, natural gas).

How much new power is planned in Kern County?

3,420 MW across 33 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3,040 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is 26SB 8me LLC.

Are there data centers in Kern County?

Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Kern County.

Is Kern County adding jobs?

Employers counted 347,044 jobs in 2025 against 331,711 in 2019 (+4.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 16,286 to 16,086.

Does Kern County have a data center moratorium?

No county-level measure is on record for Kern County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.