Merced County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Merced, Los Banos and Atwater
New generation is lining up in Merced County. Merced County is home to Merced, Los Banos, Atwater and Livingston. 424 MW of new generation is planned here across 9 units, led by Zeta Solar, LLC (battery storage). 424 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 3,394, up 28.8% since 2019. 219 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 849 MW of capacity, 54% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Merced County
Merced County is home to Merced, Los Banos, Atwater and Livingston.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ballico, Bear Creek, Cressey, Delhi, Dos Palos Y, El Nido, Franklin, Hilmar-Irwin, Le Grand, McSwain, Planada, Santa Nella, Snelling, South Dos Palos, Stevinson, Tuttle, University of California-Merced, Volta, Winton.
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 Merced County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 282,895 | 297,260 | ▲ 5.1% | 23rd of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 80,795 | 85,663 | ▲ 6.0% | 19th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,284 | $56,826 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,635 | 3,394 | ▲ 28.8% | 4th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 8.2% | 8.9% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 219 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 424 MW | 50% of today's fleet | 14th of 30 by size |
Employers here counted 85,663 jobs in 2025, up 6.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 8.9% in August 2026, against 8.2% in 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Merced County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 297,260 people live here, up 5.1% since 2020.
Who powers Merced County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +219 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Merced 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% |
| Turlock Irrigation District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 80,575 | 16.34¢ | 24% |
| Merced Irrigation District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 11,366 | 24.25¢ | 51% |
| 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 26
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 455 MW | 54% |
| Solar | 360 MW | 42% |
| Wind | 17 MW | 2% |
| Other technologies | 14 MW | 2% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W R Gianelli | California Dept. of Water Resources | Hydro | 424 MW | 1967 |
| Wright Solar Park | Wright Solar Park LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2019 |
| Quinto Solar PV Project | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 108 MW | 2015 |
| ONeill | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 25 MW | 1967 |
| Vega Solar | Vega Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2015 |
| Dinosaur Point | International Turbine Res Inc | Wind | 17 MW | 1988 |
Planned generation 9
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stellar Wright BESS | Batteries | 85 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Stellar Renewable Power |
| Zeta Solar & Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Zeta Solar, LLC |
| Zeta Solar & Storage | Batteries | 75 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Zeta Solar, LLC |
| Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm | Onshore Wind Turbine | 58 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm, LLC |
| Gonzaga Ridge Battery Facility | Batteries | 52 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Gonzaga Ridge Battery Facility, LLC |
| Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm | Onshore Wind Turbine | 40 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm, LLC |
| Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm | Onshore Wind Turbine | 35 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Gonzaga Ridge Wind Farm, LLC |
| Merced BESS | Batteries | 3 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | ZGlobal Inc |
| Merced 2 BESS | Batteries | 2 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | ZGlobal Inc |
The Merced County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 85,663 | $56,826 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,394 | $63,911 | 0.75 |
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 Merced County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Merced County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Stanislaus County, Tuolumne County.
Merced County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Merced County, Santa Clara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced County | 297,260 | ▲ 6.0% | 849 MW | 424 MW | — | — |
| Fresno County | 1,035,456 | ▲ 7.2% | 5,884 MW | 3,546 MW | 4 | — |
| Madera County | 167,927 | ▲ 13.3% | 496 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Mariposa County | 16,918 | ▲ 8.5% | 104 MW | — | — | — |
| San Benito County | 70,082 | ▲ 7.7% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Santa Clara County | 1,914,391 | ● 0.0% | 1,887 MW | 50 MW | 197 | — |
| Stanislaus County | 557,719 | ▲ 3.1% | 1,505 MW | 100 MW | 6 | 1 |
| Tuolumne County | 53,160 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,166 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of California
Merced County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Merced County, California?
4 utilities have service territory in Merced County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Turlock Irrigation District, Merced Irrigation District, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Merced, CA in?
Merced is in Merced County, California. About 99,724 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Los Banos, CA in?
Los Banos is in Merced County, California. About 49,614 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Atwater, CA in?
Atwater is in Merced County, California. About 32,133 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Merced County?
26 operating plants with 849 MW of capacity. The largest is W R Gianelli (424 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Merced County?
424 MW across 9 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 424 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Zeta Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Merced County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Merced County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Santa Clara County.
Is Merced County adding jobs?
Employers counted 85,663 jobs in 2025 against 80,795 in 2019 (+6.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,635 to 3,394.
Does Merced County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Merced County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.