San Diego County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to San Diego, Chula Vista and Oceanside
The data center boom is not abstract in San Diego County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 31 data centers in San Diego County, 6% of California's total. Its power plants have 5,055 MW of capacity, 62% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in California. San Diego County is home to San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside and Escondido. 1,514 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. 224 MW of new generation is planned here across 7 units, led by JVR Energy Park LLC (battery storage). 10 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in San Diego County
San Diego County is home to San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside and Escondido.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alpine, Bonita, Bonsall, Borrego Springs, Bostonia, Boulevard, Camp Pendleton Mainside, Camp Pendleton South, Campo, Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, Crest, Del Dios, Descanso, Elfin Forest, Eucalyptus Hills, Fairbanks Ranch, Fallbrook, Granite Hills, Harbison Canyon, Harmony Grove, Hidden Meadows, Jacumba, Jamul, Julian, La Presa, Lake San Marcos, Lakeside, Mount Laguna, Pala, Pine Valley, Potrero, Rainbow, Ramona, Rancho San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego Country Estates, Spring Valley, Valley Center, Winter Gardens.
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 Diego County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,301,110 | 3,282,248 | ▼ 0.6% | 2nd of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,488,281 | 1,535,067 | ▲ 3.1% | 28th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $64,211 | $85,402 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 83,649 | 88,510 | ▲ 5.8% | 26th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,613 | 12,988 | ▲ 22.4% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 282 | 733 | ▲ 159.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,697 | 2,684 | ▼ 0.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,514 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 84 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 224 MW | 4% of today's fleet | 16th of 30 by size |
Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 12,988, up 22.4% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $94,749 a year. Construction employs 88,510, up 5.8% since 2019. 84 MW has retired here since 2019, including Lake Hodges Hydroelectric Facility (hydro, 42 MW, 2024). Owners plan to retire 2 MW more by 2035, led by Childrens Hospital in 2028. Employers here counted 1,535,067 jobs in 2025, up 3.1% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving San Diego County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 3,282,248 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020, 2nd of 58 California counties by population.
Who powers San Diego County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,431 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in San Diego 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% |
| 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% |
| Imperial Irrigation District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 142,078 | 17.91¢ | 43% |
| City of Escondido - (CA) | Municipal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
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 106
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 3,133 MW | 62% |
| Battery storage | 1,519 MW | 30% |
| Wind | 194 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 170 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 22 MW | 0% |
| Hydro | 10 MW | 0% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otay Mesa Generating Project | Otay Mesa Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 711 MW | 2009 |
| Carlsbad Energy Center | NRG California Peaker Operations LLC | Natural gas | 659 MW | 2018 |
| Palomar Energy | San Diego Gas & Electric Co | Natural gas | 559 MW | 2005 |
| Pio Pico Energy Center | Pio Pico Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 395 MW | 2016 |
| Nighthawk Energy Storage, LLC | Nighthawk Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 300 MW | 2026 |
| Gateway Energy Storage System | Gateway Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 250 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 7
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JVR Energy Park LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 90 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | JVR Energy Park LLC |
| JVR Energy Park LLC | Batteries | 70 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | JVR Energy Park LLC |
| Enterprise BESS | Batteries | 54 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Enterprise BESS LLC |
| Rancho Penasquitos | Conventional Hydroelectric | 4 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | San Diego County Water Auth |
| EnerSmart Mesa Heights Sub Station | Batteries | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | EnerSmart Storage |
| L3 Harris San Diego | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Balboa Avenue I Solar Project 2023, LLC |
| CA National City Terminal Ave | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Catalyze National City Terminal Avenue Microgrid, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Hodges Hydroelectric Facility | Hydro | 42 MW | 2024 |
| Otay Landfill Gas, LLC | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2019 |
| P Plant | Natural gas | 9 MW | 2024 |
| Q Plant | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2023 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Childrens Hospital | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2028 |
The San Diego County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,535,067 | $85,402 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 88,510 | $87,836 | 1.09 |
| Electrical contractors | 12,988 | $94,749 | 1.17 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,269 | $114,112 | 0.51 |
| Electric utilities | 733 | $159,398 | 0.18 |
| Data processing and hosting | 2,684 | $187,557 | 0.56 |
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 Diego County
31 data centers in San Diego County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
San Diego County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border San Diego County, Riverside 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 Diego County | 3,282,248 | ▲ 3.1% | 5,055 MW | 224 MW | 31 | — |
| Imperial County | 181,411 | ▲ 7.1% | 4,558 MW | 662 MW | 1 | 3 |
| Orange County | 3,149,507 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,762 MW | — | 30 | — |
| Riverside County | 2,544,916 | ▲ 11.1% | 11,455 MW | 3,048 MW | 7 | — |
More of California
San Diego County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Diego County, California?
5 utilities have service territory in San Diego County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co, San Diego Gas & Electric Co, Imperial Irrigation District. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is San Diego, CA in?
San Diego is in San Diego County, California. About 1,406,106 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Chula Vista, CA in?
Chula Vista is in San Diego County, California. About 275,533 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Oceanside, CA in?
Oceanside is in San Diego County, California. About 170,483 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in San Diego County?
106 operating plants with 5,055 MW of capacity. The largest is Otay Mesa Generating Project (711 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in San Diego County?
224 MW across 7 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 10 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is JVR Energy Park LLC.
Are there data centers in San Diego County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 31 data centers in San Diego County.
Is San Diego County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,535,067 jobs in 2025 against 1,488,281 in 2019 (+3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 83,649 to 88,510.
Does San Diego County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Diego County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.