Shasta County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Redding, Anderson and Shasta Lake
The data center boom is not abstract in Shasta County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Shasta County. Shasta County is home to Redding, Anderson and Shasta Lake. Construction employs 4,162, up 21.0% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,427 MW of capacity, 82% of it hydro. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Kilarc (hydro, 2 MW, 2024).
Cities and towns in Shasta County
Shasta County is home to Redding, Anderson and Shasta Lake.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bella Vista, Big Bend, Burney, Cassel, Castella, Centerville, Cottonwood, Fall River Mills, French Gulch, Happy Valley, Hat Creek, Igo, Johnson Park, Jones Valley, Keswick, Lakehead, McArthur, Millville, Montgomery Creek, Mountain Gate, Oak Run, Old Station, Ono, Palo Cedro, Platina, Round Mountain, Shasta, Shingletown, Whitmore.
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 Shasta County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 182,191 | 181,648 | ▼ 0.3% | 30th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 67,519 | 71,664 | ▲ 6.1% | 17th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,524 | $61,218 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,441 | 4,162 | ▲ 21.0% | 9th of 51 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 339 | 565 | ▲ 66.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Employers here counted 71,664 jobs in 2025, up 6.1% from 2019. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 391, at an average $74,218 a year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Shasta 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. 181,648 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Shasta County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Shasta 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 of Redding - (CA) | Municipal | Bundled | 38,170 | 17.85¢ | 48% |
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 36,273 | 20.64¢ | 32% |
| City of Shasta Lake - (CA) | Municipal | Bundled | 4,268 | 19.26¢ | 6% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 48% |
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 37
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 1,998 MW | 82% |
| Natural gas | 183 MW | 8% |
| Other technologies | 140 MW | 6% |
| Wind | 101 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 0% |
| Battery storage | 0 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 714 MW | 1944 |
| Redding Power | City of Redding - (CA) | Natural gas | 183 MW | 1989 |
| Spring Creek | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 180 MW | 1964 |
| James B Black | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 169 MW | 1965 |
| Judge F Carr | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 154 MW | 1963 |
| Pit 5 | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 142 MW | 1944 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilarc | Hydro | 2 MW | 2024 |
| Cow Creek | Hydro | 1 MW | 2024 |
The Shasta County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 71,664 | $61,218 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,162 | $78,196 | 1.10 |
| Electrical contractors | 391 | $74,218 | 0.76 |
| Electric utilities | 565 | $164,765 | 2.91 |
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 Shasta County
1 data center in Shasta County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Shasta County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Shasta County, Plumas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shasta County | 181,648 | ▲ 6.1% | 2,427 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Lassen County | 28,117 | ▼ 10.6% | 92 MW | — | — | — |
| Modoc County | 8,426 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Plumas County | 18,583 | ▲ 1.0% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Siskiyou County | 42,013 | ▼ 0.4% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Tehama County | 64,665 | ▲ 4.1% | 77 MW | — | — | — |
| Trinity County | 15,720 | ▲ 4.3% | 153 MW | — | — | — |
More of California
Shasta County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shasta County, California?
5 utilities have service territory in Shasta County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., City of Redding - (CA), PacifiCorp, City of Shasta Lake - (CA). The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Redding, CA in?
Redding is in Shasta County, California. About 94,092 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Anderson, CA in?
Anderson is in Shasta County, California. About 11,131 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Shasta Lake, CA in?
Shasta Lake is in Shasta County, California. About 10,208 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Shasta County?
37 operating plants with 2,427 MW of capacity. The largest is Shasta (714 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Shasta County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Shasta County.
Is Shasta County adding jobs?
Employers counted 71,664 jobs in 2025 against 67,519 in 2019 (+6.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,441 to 4,162.
Does Shasta County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Shasta County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.