Mono County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mammoth Lakes
Mono 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. Mono County is home to Mammoth Lakes. Construction employs 474, up 30.2% since 2019. Next door, Fresno County has 4 data centers and 3,546 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 8,196 jobs in 2025, up 8.5% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 58 California counties). 44 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies.
Cities and towns in Mono County
Mono County is home to Mammoth Lakes.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aspen Springs, Benton, Bridgeport, Chalfant, Coleville, Crowley Lake, June Lake, Lee Vining, McGee Creek, Mono City, Paradise, Sunny Slopes, Swall Meadows, Topaz, Twin Lakes, Virginia Lakes, Walker.
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 Mono County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,222 | 12,505 | ▼ 5.4% | 55th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,557 | 8,196 | ▲ 8.5% | 10th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,488 | $53,692 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 364 | 474 | ▲ 30.2% | 3rd of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 44 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 187 MW of capacity, 55% of it hydro. Southern California Edison Co is the largest utility serving Mono County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 32.43¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 12,505 people live here, down 5.4% since 2020.
Who powers Mono County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +44 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mono County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,594,415 | 32.43¢ | 56% |
| Liberty Utilities | Investor Owned | Bundled | 43,902 | 25.92¢ | 49% |
| Valley Electric Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12 | 19.10¢ | 0% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 102 MW | 55% |
| Other technologies | 84 MW | 45% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CD4 | CD4 | Other technologies | 44 MW | 2022 |
| Middle Gorge | Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Hydro | 38 MW | 1952 |
| Upper Gorge | Los Angeles Department of Water & Power | Hydro | 38 MW | 1953 |
| Mammoth G2 | Ormat Nevada Inc | Other technologies | 15 MW | 1990 |
| Mammoth G3 | Ormat Nevada Inc | Other technologies | 15 MW | 1990 |
| Rush Creek | Southern California Edison Co | Hydro | 13 MW | 1916 |
The Mono County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,196 | $53,692 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 474 | $68,045 | 1.09 |
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 Mono County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mono County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Tuolumne County.
Mono County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Mono County, Fresno 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mono County | 12,505 | ▲ 8.5% | 187 MW | — | — | — |
| Alpine County | 1,043 | ▲ 32.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Douglas County NV | 50,111 | ▲ 9.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Esmeralda County NV | 729 | ▼ 5.9% | — | 26 MW | — | — |
| Fresno County | 1,035,456 | ▲ 7.2% | 5,884 MW | 3,546 MW | 4 | — |
| Inyo County | 18,158 | ▼ 0.6% | 465 MW | 1,000 MW | — | — |
| Lyon County NV | 65,088 | ▲ 8.1% | 282 MW | 1,400 MW | — | — |
| Madera County | 167,927 | ▲ 13.3% | 496 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Mineral County NV | 4,407 | ▼ 35.3% | 90 MW | — | — | — |
| Tuolumne County | 53,160 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,166 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of California
Mono County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mono County, California?
3 utilities have service territory in Mono County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern California Edison Co, Liberty Utilities, Valley Electric Assn, Inc. The largest, Southern California Edison Co, charged residential customers 32.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mono County?
9 operating plants with 187 MW of capacity. The largest is CD4 (44 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Mono County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mono County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Fresno County.
Is Mono County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,196 jobs in 2025 against 7,557 in 2019 (+8.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 364 to 474.
Does Mono County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mono County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.