Sonoma County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Santa Rosa, Petaluma and Rohnert Park
Sonoma County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Sonoma County. Sonoma County is home to Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Windsor. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 1,521 MW of capacity, 98% of it other technologies. Construction employs 16,007, down 3.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Sonoma County
Sonoma County is home to Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Windsor.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bloomfield, Bodega, Bodega Bay, Boyes Hot Springs, Carmet, Cazadero, El Verano, Eldridge, Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente, Forestville, Fulton, Geyserville, Glen Ellen, Graton, Guerneville, Jenner, Kenwood, Larkfield-Wikiup, Monte Rio, Occidental, Penngrove, Petaluma Center, Salmon Creek, Sea Ranch, Sereno del Mar, Sonoma State University, Temelec, Timber Cove, Valley Ford.
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 Sonoma County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 488,514 | 486,444 | ▼ 0.4% | 17th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 211,197 | 206,393 | ▼ 2.3% | 54th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,656 | $73,248 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,499 | 16,007 | ▼ 3.0% | 38th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,712 | 1,860 | ▲ 8.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 86 | 101 | ▲ 17.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Sonoma County Fuel Cell (natural gas, 1 MW, 2020). Electrical contractors employ 1,860, up 8.6% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $95,067 a year. 13 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 206,393 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Sonoma 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. 486,444 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Sonoma County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +11 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sonoma 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 Healdsburg - (CA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 22
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 1,493 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 1% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 0% |
| Hydro | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geysers Unit 5-20 | Geysers Power Co LLC | Other technologies | 1,236 MW | 1971 |
| Geothermal 1 | Northern California Power Agny | Other technologies | 110 MW | 1983 |
| Geothermal 2 | Northern California Power Agny | Other technologies | 110 MW | 1985 |
| Aidlin Geothermal Power Plant | Geysers Power Co LLC | Other technologies | 25 MW | 1989 |
| Keysight - Santa Rosa | Bloom Energy | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2018 |
| Laguna Water Reclamation Facility | City of Santa Rosa - (CA) | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2013 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County Fuel Cell | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2020 |
The Sonoma County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 206,393 | $73,248 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,007 | $88,865 | 1.46 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,860 | $95,067 | 1.25 |
| Electric utilities | 126 | $173,187 | 0.23 |
| Data processing and hosting | 101 | $128,811 | 0.16 |
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 Sonoma County
2 data centers in Sonoma County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Sonoma County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Sonoma County, Solano 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoma County | 486,444 | ▼ 2.3% | 1,521 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Lake County | 67,772 | ▲ 6.1% | 353 MW | — | — | — |
| Marin County | 253,694 | ▼ 5.3% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Mendocino County | 88,122 | ▼ 1.4% | 23 MW | 1 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Napa County | 132,949 | ▼ 0.8% | 31 MW | 26 MW | 3 | — |
| Solano County | 455,376 | ▲ 0.6% | 1,461 MW | 60 MW | 3 | — |
More of California
Sonoma County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sonoma County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Sonoma County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., City of Healdsburg - (CA). The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Santa Rosa, CA in?
Santa Rosa is in Sonoma County, California. About 179,437 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Petaluma, CA in?
Petaluma is in Sonoma County, California. About 59,688 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Rohnert Park, CA in?
Rohnert Park is in Sonoma County, California. About 44,811 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Sonoma County?
22 operating plants with 1,521 MW of capacity. The largest is Geysers Unit 5-20 (1,236 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Sonoma County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Sonoma County.
Is Sonoma County adding jobs?
Employers counted 206,393 jobs in 2025 against 211,197 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 16,499 to 16,007.
Does Sonoma County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sonoma County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.