Solano County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville
Solano County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Solano County. Solano County is home to Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville and Suisun City. 60 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Vaca Dixon BESS LLC (battery storage). Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Construction employs 11,051, down 10.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Solano County
Solano County is home to Vallejo, Fairfield, Vacaville and Suisun City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allendale, Elmira, Green Valley, Hartley.
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 Solano County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 452,895 | 455,376 | ▲ 0.5% | 19th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 143,081 | 144,004 | ▲ 0.6% | 41st of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $61,843 | $73,494 | ▲ 18.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,318 | 11,051 | ▼ 10.3% | 45th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,026 | 1,127 | ▲ 9.8% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,657 | 1,343 | ▼ 18.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 86 | 107 | ▲ 24.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 5.5% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 106 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 60 MW | 4% of today's fleet | 20th of 30 by size |
Its power plants have 1,461 MW of capacity, 75% of it wind. 15 MW has retired here since 2019, including Solano Wind (wind, 13 MW, 2023). Owners plan to retire 87 MW more by 2035, led by Solano Wind in 2031. 106 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Electrical contractors employ 1,127, up 9.8% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $93,687 a year. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Solano 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 144,004 jobs in 2025, up 0.6% from 2019. 455,376 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Solano County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +90 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Solano 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% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 48% |
| Pittsburg Power Company | — | — | — | — | — |
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 35
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1,102 MW | 75% |
| Natural gas | 309 MW | 21% |
| Solar | 29 MW | 2% |
| Hydro | 12 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solano Wind | Sacramento Municipal Util Dist | Wind | 300 MW | 2006 |
| High Winds LLC | FPLE High Winds, LLC | Wind | 162 MW | 2003 |
| Shiloh Wind Project 2 LLC | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 150 MW | 2009 |
| Shiloh I Wind Project | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2006 |
| Shiloh IV Wind Project LLC | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 102 MW | 2012 |
| Shiloh III Wind Project LLC | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 102 MW | 2011 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaca BESS | Batteries | 60 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Vaca Dixon BESS LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solano Wind | Wind | 13 MW | 2023 |
| Vaca Dixon Battery Storage System | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2021 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solano Wind | Wind | 87 MW | 2031 |
The Solano County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 144,004 | $73,494 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 11,051 | $105,185 | 1.45 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,127 | $93,687 | 1.09 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,343 | $168,085 | 5.77 |
| Data processing and hosting | 107 | $97,487 | 0.24 |
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 Solano County
3 data centers in Solano County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Solano County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Solano County, Sacramento 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solano County | 455,376 | ▲ 0.6% | 1,461 MW | 60 MW | 3 | — |
| Contra Costa County | 1,170,070 | ▲ 1.4% | 4,240 MW | 8 MW | 6 | — |
| Napa County | 132,949 | ▼ 0.8% | 31 MW | 26 MW | 3 | — |
| Sacramento County | 1,618,460 | ▲ 7.9% | 1,750 MW | 660 MW | 21 | — |
| Sonoma County | 486,444 | ▼ 2.3% | 1,521 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Yolo County | 224,410 | ▲ 2.6% | 61 MW | 26 MW | 3 | — |
More of California
Solano County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Solano County, California?
3 utilities have service territory in Solano County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration, Pittsburg Power Company. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Vallejo, CA in?
Vallejo is in Solano County, California. About 123,287 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fairfield, CA in?
Fairfield is in Solano County, California. About 122,489 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Vacaville, CA in?
Vacaville is in Solano County, California. About 103,850 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Solano County?
35 operating plants with 1,461 MW of capacity. The largest is Solano Wind (300 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Solano County?
60 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Vaca Dixon BESS LLC.
Are there data centers in Solano County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Solano County.
Is Solano County adding jobs?
Employers counted 144,004 jobs in 2025 against 143,081 in 2019 (+0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 12,318 to 11,051.
Does Solano County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Solano County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.