Lake County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clearlake and Lakeport
No data center or power plant project is on record in Lake County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Lake County is home to Clearlake and Lakeport. Next door, Napa County has 3 data centers. Construction employs 845, up 7.9% since 2019. Unemployment was 7.2% in August 2026, against 6.0% in 2019. 38 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Lake County
Lake County is home to Clearlake and Lakeport.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Clearlake Oaks, Clearlake Riviera, Cobb, Hidden Valley Lake, Kelseyville, Lower Lake, Lucerne, Middletown, Nice, North Lakeport, Soda Bay, Spring Valley, Upper Lake.
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 Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 68,208 | 67,772 | ▼ 0.6% | 41st of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,740 | 17,762 | ▲ 6.1% | 18th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,236 | $55,959 | ▲ 39.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 783 | 845 | ▲ 7.9% | 22nd of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.0% | 7.2% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 38 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 17,762 jobs in 2025, up 6.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 353 MW of capacity, 88% of it other technologies. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Lake County. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 67,772 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Lake County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +38 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lake 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% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 309 MW | 88% |
| Battery storage | 38 MW | 11% |
| Hydro | 5 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calistoga Power Plant | Geysers Power Co LLC | Other technologies | 176 MW | 1984 |
| Sonoma California Geothermal | Geysers Power Co LLC | Other technologies | 78 MW | 1983 |
| Bottle Rock Power | Mayacma Geothermal | Other technologies | 55 MW | 1985 |
| West Ford Flat | West Ford Flat Energy Storage | Battery storage | 25 MW | 2024 |
| Bear Canyon | Bear Canyon Energy Storage | Battery storage | 13 MW | 2024 |
| Indian Valley Dam Hydro Project | Yolo County Flood Control WCD | Hydro | 3 MW | 1983 |
The Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,762 | $55,959 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 845 | $68,802 | 0.90 |
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 Lake County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lake County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Mendocino County.
Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lake County, Sonoma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 67,772 | ▲ 6.1% | 353 MW | — | — | — |
| Colusa County | 21,836 | ▼ 0.9% | 749 MW | — | — | — |
| Glenn County | 28,141 | ▲ 2.1% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Mendocino County | 88,122 | ▼ 1.4% | 23 MW | 1 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Napa County | 132,949 | ▼ 0.8% | 31 MW | 26 MW | 3 | — |
| Sonoma County | 486,444 | ▼ 2.3% | 1,521 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Yolo County | 224,410 | ▲ 2.6% | 61 MW | 26 MW | 3 | — |
More of California
Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lake County, California?
1 utility has service territory in Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co.. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Clearlake, CA in?
Clearlake is in Lake County, California. About 16,893 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lake County?
7 operating plants with 353 MW of capacity. The largest is Calistoga Power Plant (176 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Lake County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lake County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Napa County.
Is Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,762 jobs in 2025 against 16,740 in 2019 (+6.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 783 to 845.
Does Lake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lake County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.