Lassen County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Susanville
Lassen 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. Lassen County is home to Susanville. Next door, Washoe County, Nevada, has 17 data centers. Unemployment was 6.6% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 8,945 jobs in 2025, down 10.6% from 2019. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Lassen County
Lassen County is home to Susanville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bieber, Clear Creek, Doyle, Herlong, Janesville, Johnstonville, Litchfield, Little Valley, Madeline, Milford, Nubieber, Patton Village, Spaulding, Stones Landing, Westwood.
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 Lassen County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 32,349 | 28,117 | ▼ 13.1% | 48th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,011 | 8,945 | ▼ 10.6% | 58th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,076 | $60,015 | ▲ 24.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 6.6% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
28,117 people live here, down 13.1% since 2020. Its power plants have 92 MW of capacity, 50% of it other technologies. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Lassen County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities.
Who powers Lassen County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lassen 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% |
| Surprise Valley Electrification | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,785 | 13.14¢ | 10% |
| Lassen Municipal Utility District | — | — | — | — | — |
| Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 46 MW | 50% |
| Hydro | 30 MW | 33% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 11% |
| Natural gas | 6 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HL Power | HL Power Company | Other technologies | 36 MW | 1989 |
| Muck Valley Hydroelectric | Malacha Hydro Limited Partnership | Hydro | 30 MW | 1988 |
| Big Valley Power LLC | Big Valley Power (BVP) LLC | Other technologies | 9 MW | 1983 |
| HL Solar (Lassen) | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2019 |
| High Sierra Cogeneration Plant | Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Coop | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2010 |
| PSREC/SIAD Solar | Plumas Sierra Rural Electric Coop | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
The Lassen County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,945 | $60,015 | 1.00 |
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 Lassen County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lassen County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Lassen County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lassen County, Washoe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lassen County | 28,117 | ▼ 10.6% | 92 MW | — | — | — |
| Modoc County | 8,426 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Plumas County | 18,583 | ▲ 1.0% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Shasta County | 181,648 | ▲ 6.1% | 2,427 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Sierra County | 3,098 | ▲ 12.7% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Washoe County NV | 509,386 | ▲ 7.4% | 668 MW | — | 17 | — |
More of California
Lassen County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lassen County, California?
5 utilities have service territory in Lassen County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Surprise Valley Electrification, Lassen Municipal Utility District, Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Susanville, CA in?
Susanville is in Lassen County, California. About 12,816 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lassen County?
6 operating plants with 92 MW of capacity. The largest is HL Power (36 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Lassen County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lassen County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washoe County.
Is Lassen County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,945 jobs in 2025 against 10,011 in 2019 (-10.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lassen County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lassen County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.