San Mateo County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to San Mateo, Daly City and Redwood City
The data center boom is not abstract in San Mateo County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in San Mateo County. San Mateo County is home to San Mateo, Daly City, Redwood City and South San Francisco. 3 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by AMERESCO Ox Mountain Energy LLC (other technologies). Construction employs 16,098, down 20.7% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in San Mateo County
San Mateo County is home to San Mateo, Daly City, Redwood City and South San Francisco.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baywood Park, Broadmoor, El Granada, Emerald Lake Hills, Highlands, La Honda, Ladera, Loma Mar, Montara, Moss Beach, North Fair Oaks, Pescadero, West Menlo Park.
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 Mateo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 762,639 | 743,568 | ▼ 2.5% | 15th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 415,999 | 411,346 | ▼ 1.1% | 50th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $129,814 | $214,295 | ▲ 65.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,304 | 16,098 | ▼ 20.7% | 50th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,501 | 1,730 | ▲ 15.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,019 | 6,373 | ▲ 58.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3 MW | 10% of today's fleet | 29th of 30 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 1,730, up 15.3% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $125,364 a year. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 29 MW of capacity, 43% of it other technologies. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving San Mateo 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 411,346 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019. 743,568 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers San Mateo County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in San Mateo 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% |
| City & County of San Francisco | Municipal | Bundled | 2,618 | 24.05¢ | 78% |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 13 MW | 43% |
| Natural gas | 8 MW | 28% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 14% |
| Battery storage | 4 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameresco Ox Mountain | AMERESCO Ox Mountain Energy LLC | Other technologies | 11 MW | 2008 |
| SRI International Cogen Project | IPT SRI Cogeneration Inc | Natural gas | 6 MW | 1987 |
| Google Bayhill Solar PV and Microgrid | Google, Inc. | Battery storage | 4 MW | 2024 |
| Silicon Valley Clean Water | Silicon Valley Clean Water | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2015 |
| Shelter Creek Condominiums Solar | Vista Solar, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Gilead Foster City Solar Project | Gilead Sciences Inc. Foster City | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameresco Ox Mountain | Landfill Gas | 3 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | AMERESCO Ox Mountain Energy LLC |
The San Mateo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 411,346 | $214,295 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,098 | $108,677 | 0.74 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,730 | $125,364 | 0.58 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6,373 | $585,001 | 4.99 |
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 Mateo County
10 data centers in San Mateo County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
San Mateo County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border San Mateo 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 Mateo County | 743,568 | ▼ 1.1% | 29 MW | 3 MW | 10 | — |
| San Francisco County | 826,079 | ▼ 8.4% | 24 MW | — | 18 | — |
| 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 Mateo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Mateo County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in San Mateo County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., City & County of San Francisco. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is San Mateo, CA in?
San Mateo is in San Mateo County, California. About 103,337 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Daly City, CA in?
Daly City is in San Mateo County, California. About 101,261 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Redwood City, CA in?
Redwood City is in San Mateo County, California. About 82,178 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in San Mateo County?
8 operating plants with 29 MW of capacity. The largest is Ameresco Ox Mountain (11 MW, other technologies).
How much new power is planned in San Mateo County?
3 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is AMERESCO Ox Mountain Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in San Mateo County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in San Mateo County.
Is San Mateo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 411,346 jobs in 2025 against 415,999 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 20,304 to 16,098.
Does San Mateo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Mateo County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.