Orange County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Anaheim, Irvine and Santa Ana
Orange County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 30 data centers in Orange County, 6% of California's total. Orange County is home to Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach. 1,134 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 312 MW has retired here since 2019, including AES Huntington Beach LLC (natural gas, 218 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Orange County
Orange County is home to Anaheim, Irvine, Santa Ana and Huntington Beach.
And 10 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Las Flores, Midway City, Modjeska, North Tustin, Rancho Mission Viejo, Rossmoor, Silverado, Trabuco Canyon, Williams Canyon.
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 Orange County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,186,167 | 3,149,507 | ▼ 1.2% | 3rd of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,650,571 | 1,663,220 | ▲ 0.8% | 40th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $64,775 | $84,864 | ▲ 31.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 106,442 | 103,392 | ▼ 2.9% | 37th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,141 | 13,450 | ▼ 4.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,431 | 2,439 | ▲ 70.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,471 | 2,556 | ▲ 3.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,134 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 312 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1,762 MW of capacity, 77% of it natural gas. Owners plan to retire 218 MW more by 2035, led by AES Huntington Beach LLC in 2026. Construction employs 103,392, down 2.9% since 2019. Southern California Edison Co is the largest utility serving Orange 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. Electrical contractors employ 13,450, down 4.9% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $99,444 a year. Employers here counted 1,663,220 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 3,149,507 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020, 3rd of 58 California counties by population.
Who powers Orange County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +823 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Orange 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% |
| San Diego Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,364,361 | 43.63¢ | 39% |
| City of Anaheim - (CA) | Municipal | Bundled | 105,839 | 17.11¢ | 34% |
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 44
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,350 MW | 77% |
| Battery storage | 270 MW | 15% |
| Other technologies | 83 MW | 5% |
| Solar | 47 MW | 3% |
| Hydro | 12 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES Huntington Beach Energy Project | AES Huntington Beach Energy, LLC | Natural gas | 699 MW | 2020 |
| AES Huntington Beach LLC | AES Huntington Beach LLC | Natural gas | 218 MW | 1958 |
| Canyon Power Plant | City of Anaheim - (CA) | Natural gas | 200 MW | 2011 |
| Stanton Energy Reliability Center Hybrid | Wellhead Services, Inc | Battery storage | 161 MW | 2020 |
| Johanna Energy Center, LLC | Johanna Energy Center, LLC | Battery storage | 80 MW | 2021 |
| Stanton Battery Energy Storage | Wellhead Services, Inc | Battery storage | 69 MW | 2023 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AES Huntington Beach LLC | Natural gas | 218 MW | 2019 |
| Anaheim GT | Natural gas | 49 MW | 2019 |
| Fullerton Mill CHP | Natural gas | 21 MW | 2020 |
| B Braun Medical | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2025 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AES Huntington Beach LLC | Natural gas | 218 MW | 2026 |
The Orange County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,663,220 | $84,864 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 103,392 | $99,697 | 1.17 |
| Electrical contractors | 13,450 | $99,444 | 1.12 |
| Power and communication line construction | 2,439 | $167,467 | 0.91 |
| Electric utilities | 2,024 | $181,683 | 0.45 |
| Data processing and hosting | 2,556 | $141,613 | 0.49 |
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 Orange County
30 data centers in Orange County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Orange County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Orange County, Los Angeles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 3,149,507 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,762 MW | — | 30 | — |
| Los Angeles County | 9,694,934 | ▲ 0.3% | 14,115 MW | 1,236 MW | 77 | 2 |
| Riverside County | 2,544,916 | ▲ 11.1% | 11,455 MW | 3,048 MW | 7 | — |
| San Bernardino County | 2,224,091 | ▲ 9.7% | 7,081 MW | 1,500 MW | 5 | — |
| San Diego County | 3,282,248 | ▲ 3.1% | 5,055 MW | 224 MW | 31 | — |
More of California
Orange County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Orange County, California?
3 utilities have service territory in Orange County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern California Edison Co, San Diego Gas & Electric Co, City of Anaheim - (CA). The largest, Southern California Edison Co, charged residential customers 32.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Anaheim, CA in?
Anaheim is in Orange County, California. About 341,008 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Irvine, CA in?
Irvine is in Orange County, California. About 318,764 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Santa Ana, CA in?
Santa Ana is in Orange County, California. About 315,586 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Orange County?
44 operating plants with 1,762 MW of capacity. The largest is AES Huntington Beach Energy Project (699 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Orange County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 30 data centers in Orange County.
Is Orange County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,663,220 jobs in 2025 against 1,650,571 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 106,442 to 103,392.
Does Orange County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Orange County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.