Plumas County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Portola
Plumas 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. Construction employs 489, up 48.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Plumas County is home to Portola. Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 7.7% in 2019. Next door, Butte County has 1 data center. 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including Collins Pine Project (other technologies, 12 MW, 2020).
Cities and towns in Plumas County
Plumas County is home to Portola.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Almanor, Beckwourth, Belden, Blairsden, Bucks Lake, C-Road, Canyondam, Caribou, Chester, Chilcoot-Vinton, Clio, Crescent Mills, Cromberg, Delleker, East Quincy, East Shore, Gold Mountain, Graeagle, Greenhorn, Greenville, Hamilton Branch, Indian Falls, Iron Horse, Johnsville, Keddie, La Porte, Lake Almanor Country Club, Lake Almanor Peninsula, Lake Almanor West, Lake Davis, Little Grass Valley, Mabie, Meadow Valley, Mohawk Vista, Paxton, Plumas Eureka, Prattville, Quincy, Spring Garden, Taylorsville and 5 more.
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 Plumas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,745 | 18,583 | ▼ 5.9% | 51st of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,544 | 6,610 | ▲ 1.0% | 39th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,302 | $62,946 | ▲ 42.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 329 | 489 | ▲ 48.6% | 1st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.7% | 5.7% | ▼ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — |
Its power plants have 610 MW of capacity, 93% of it hydro. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Plumas County, one of 3 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 6,610 jobs in 2025, up 1.0% from 2019. 18,583 people live here, down 5.9% since 2020.
Who powers Plumas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Plumas 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% |
| Liberty Utilities | Investor Owned | Bundled | 43,902 | 25.92¢ | 49% |
| Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 570 MW | 93% |
| Other technologies | 40 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Creek | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 126 MW | 1950 |
| Belden | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 118 MW | 1969 |
| Caribou 2 | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 118 MW | 1958 |
| Caribou 1 | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 74 MW | 1921 |
| Bucks Creek | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 66 MW | 1928 |
| Butt Valley | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 40 MW | 1958 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collins Pine Project | Other technologies | 12 MW | 2020 |
The Plumas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,610 | $62,946 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 489 | $68,174 | 1.40 |
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 Plumas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Plumas County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Plumas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Plumas County, Shasta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumas County | 18,583 | ▲ 1.0% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Butte County | 209,211 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Lassen County | 28,117 | ▼ 10.6% | 92 MW | — | — | — |
| Shasta County | 181,648 | ▲ 6.1% | 2,427 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Sierra County | 3,098 | ▲ 12.7% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Tehama County | 64,665 | ▲ 4.1% | 77 MW | — | — | — |
| Yuba County | 88,691 | ▲ 13.0% | 367 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of California
Plumas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Plumas County, California?
3 utilities have service territory in Plumas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Liberty Utilities, Plumas-Sierra Rural Elec Coop. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Plumas County?
11 operating plants with 610 MW of capacity. The largest is Rock Creek (126 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Plumas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Plumas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Butte County.
Is Plumas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,610 jobs in 2025 against 6,544 in 2019 (+1.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 329 to 489.
Does Plumas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Plumas County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.