Monterey County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Salinas, Seaside and Monterey
Monterey County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Monterey County is home to Salinas, Seaside, Monterey and Soledad. 6 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt (other technologies). Construction employs 7,830, up 19.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,391 MW of capacity, 70% of it natural gas. Next door, Fresno County has 4 data centers and 3,546 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Monterey County
Monterey County is home to Salinas, Seaside, Monterey and Soledad.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aromas, Boronda, Bradley, Carmel Valley Village, Castroville, Chualar, Del Monte Forest, Elkhorn, Fort Hunter Liggett, Las Lomas, Lockwood, Moss Landing, Pajaro, Pine Canyon, Prunedale, San Ardo, San Lucas, Spreckels.
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 Monterey County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 440,493 | 433,729 | ▼ 1.5% | 22nd of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 198,165 | 198,525 | ▲ 0.2% | 43rd of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,504 | $63,594 | ▲ 28.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,530 | 7,830 | ▲ 19.9% | 10th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.4% | 5.7% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 714 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 303 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 6 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 26th of 30 by size |
714 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. 303 MW has retired here since 2019, including Dynegy Moss Landing Power Plant Hybrid (battery storage, 300 MW, 2025). Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 6.4% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 711, at an average $79,443 a year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Monterey County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. Employers here counted 198,525 jobs in 2025, up 0.2% from 2019. 433,729 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Monterey County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +411 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monterey 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% |
| Central Coast Community Energy | — | Bundled | 383,835 | — | — |
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 25
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,663 MW | 70% |
| Battery storage | 693 MW | 29% |
| Wind | 15 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 12 MW | 0% |
| Other technologies | 8 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dynegy Moss Landing Power Plant Hybrid | Dynegy -Moss Landing LLC | Natural gas | 1,848 MW | 2002 |
| Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Battery storage | 182 MW | 2022 |
| King City Power Plant | Calpine King City Cogen LLC | Natural gas | 133 MW | 1989 |
| Cal Flats BESS | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Battery storage | 60 MW | 2021 |
| King City Peaking | Calpine Corp-King City | Natural gas | 47 MW | 2002 |
| Salinas River Cogeneration | Salinas River Cogeneration Co | Natural gas | 39 MW | 1991 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marina Landfill Gas | Landfill Gas | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt |
| Marina Landfill Gas | Landfill Gas | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt |
| Marina Landfill Gas | Landfill Gas | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt |
| Marina Landfill Gas | Landfill Gas | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynegy Moss Landing Power Plant Hybrid | Battery storage | 300 MW | 2025 |
| Aera San Ardo Cogen Facility | Natural gas | 3 MW | 2025 |
The Monterey County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 198,525 | $63,594 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,830 | $80,727 | 0.74 |
| Electrical contractors | 711 | $79,443 | 0.50 |
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 Monterey County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Monterey County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Monterey County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Monterey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterey County | 433,729 | ▲ 0.2% | 2,391 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Fresno County | 1,035,456 | ▲ 7.2% | 5,884 MW | 3,546 MW | 4 | — |
| Kings County | 154,327 | ▲ 6.5% | 2,820 MW | 612 MW | — | — |
| San Benito County | 70,082 | ▲ 7.7% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| San Luis Obispo County | 282,367 | ▲ 1.5% | 3,563 MW | 600 MW | 5 | — |
| Santa Cruz County | 258,852 | ▼ 1.8% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of California
Monterey County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monterey County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Monterey County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Central Coast Community Energy. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Salinas, CA in?
Salinas is in Monterey County, California. About 159,134 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Seaside, CA in?
Seaside is in Monterey County, California. About 31,636 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Monterey, CA in?
Monterey is in Monterey County, California. About 28,953 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monterey County?
25 operating plants with 2,391 MW of capacity. The largest is Dynegy Moss Landing Power Plant Hybrid (1,848 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Monterey County?
6 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Monterey Regional Waste Mgmt.
Are there data centers in Monterey County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monterey County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Fresno County.
Is Monterey County adding jobs?
Employers counted 198,525 jobs in 2025 against 198,165 in 2019 (+0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,530 to 7,830.
Does Monterey County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monterey County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.