San Benito County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hollister and San Juan Bautista
No data center or power plant project is on record in San Benito County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. San Benito County is home to Hollister and San Juan Bautista. Next door, Santa Clara County has 197 data centers. Construction employs 1,500, down 7.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 18,690 jobs in 2025, up 7.7% from 2019. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in San Benito County
San Benito County is home to Hollister and San Juan Bautista.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aromas, Ridgemark, Tres Pinos.
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 San Benito County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 64,525 | 70,082 | ▲ 8.6% | 40th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,358 | 18,690 | ▲ 7.7% | 12th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,677 | $61,173 | ▲ 20.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,617 | 1,500 | ▼ 7.2% | 42nd of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 202 | 203 | ▲ 0.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 5.9% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 5.9% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. Its power plants have 148 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 203, up 0.5% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $83,850 a year. 70,082 people live here, up 8.6% since 2020. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving San Benito 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.
Who powers San Benito County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in San Benito 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 148 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panoche Valley Solar Farm | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 140 MW | 2018 |
| Graniterock Quarry | CalCom Energy | Solar | 4 MW | 2022 |
| Enerparc CA1 LLC | CleanCapital Holdings | Solar | 2 MW | 2014 |
| Hollister Solar LLC | Ecos Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2014 |
| Hollister Wastewater Facility | SunStrong Management, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2011 |
The San Benito County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,690 | $61,173 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,500 | $75,772 | 1.51 |
| Electrical contractors | 203 | $83,850 | 1.51 |
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 San Benito County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in San Benito County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
San Benito County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border San Benito County, Santa Clara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Benito County | 70,082 | ▲ 7.7% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Fresno County | 1,035,456 | ▲ 7.2% | 5,884 MW | 3,546 MW | 4 | — |
| Merced County | 297,260 | ▲ 6.0% | 849 MW | 424 MW | — | — |
| Monterey County | 433,729 | ▲ 0.2% | 2,391 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Santa Clara County | 1,914,391 | ● 0.0% | 1,887 MW | 50 MW | 197 | — |
| Santa Cruz County | 258,852 | ▼ 1.8% | 14 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of California
San Benito County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Benito County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in San Benito 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 Hollister, CA in?
Hollister is in San Benito County, California. About 45,695 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in San Benito County?
5 operating plants with 148 MW of capacity. The largest is Panoche Valley Solar Farm (140 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in San Benito County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in San Benito County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Santa Clara County.
Is San Benito County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,690 jobs in 2025 against 17,358 in 2019 (+7.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,617 to 1,500.
Does San Benito County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Benito County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.