Modoc County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alturas
Modoc 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. Modoc County is home to Alturas. Next door, Washoe County, Nevada, has 17 data centers. Unemployment was 6.1% in August 2026, against 7.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,696 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Modoc 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.
Cities and towns in Modoc County
Modoc County is home to Alturas.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Adin, California Pines, Canby, Cedarville, Daphnedale Park, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell, Lake City, Likely, Lookout, New Pine Creek, Newell.
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 Modoc County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,679 | 8,426 | ▼ 2.9% | 56th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,599 | 2,696 | ▲ 3.7% | 26th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,385 | $53,876 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.6% | 6.1% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
8,426 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Modoc County
Utilities with service territory in Modoc 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% |
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 36,273 | 20.64¢ | 32% |
| Surprise Valley Electrification | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,785 | 13.14¢ | 10% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Modoc County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Modoc County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,696 | $53,876 | 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 Modoc County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Modoc County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Modoc County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Modoc 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modoc County | 8,426 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Klamath County OR | 70,274 | ▲ 2.7% | 762 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Lake County OR | 8,187 | ▼ 4.5% | 125 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Lassen County | 28,117 | ▼ 10.6% | 92 MW | — | — | — |
| Shasta County | 181,648 | ▲ 6.1% | 2,427 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Siskiyou County | 42,013 | ▼ 0.4% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Washoe County NV | 509,386 | ▲ 7.4% | 668 MW | — | 17 | — |
More of California
Modoc County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Modoc County, California?
4 utilities have service territory in Modoc County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., PacifiCorp, Surprise Valley Electrification, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Modoc County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Modoc County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washoe County.
Is Modoc County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,696 jobs in 2025 against 2,599 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Modoc County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Modoc County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.