Sutter County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Yuba City and Live Oak
Sutter County hosts some of the generating capacity California runs on. Sutter County is home to Yuba City and Live Oak. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Vesper Energy Development LLC (solar). Next door, Sacramento County has 21 data centers and 660 MW of planned generation. 66 MW has retired here since 2019, including Greenleaf 1 (natural gas, 66 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 904 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Sutter County
Sutter County is home to Yuba City and Live Oak.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): East Nicolaus, Meridian, Nicolaus, Rio Oso, Robbins, Sutter, Trowbridge.
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 Sutter County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 99,463 | 98,787 | ▼ 0.7% | 37th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32,060 | 33,016 | ▲ 3.0% | 30th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,003 | $57,092 | ▲ 32.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,529 | 1,504 | ▼ 1.6% | 35th of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.6% | 7.4% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 75 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 66 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 22% of today's fleet | 17th of 30 by size |
75 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Construction employs 1,504, down 1.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 33,016 jobs in 2025, up 3.0% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Sutter 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. Unemployment was 7.4% in August 2026, against 7.6% in 2019. 98,787 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Sutter County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sutter 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% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 900 MW | 99% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter Energy Center | Calpine Corp-Sutter | Natural gas | 636 MW | 2001 |
| Greenleaf 1 | Calpine Greenleaf Holding, Inc. | Natural gas | 70 MW | 2022 |
| Yuba City Cogen Partners | Wellhead Services, Inc | Natural gas | 50 MW | 1990 |
| Greenleaf 2 Power Plant | Greenleaf Energy LLC | Natural gas | 50 MW | 1989 |
| Yuba City Energy Center | Calpine Corp-Yuba City | Natural gas | 47 MW | 2002 |
| Feather River Energy Center | Calpine Corp-Yuba City | Natural gas | 47 MW | 2003 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skylight Renewable Energy | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Vesper Energy Development LLC |
| Skylight Renewable Energy | Batteries | 100 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Vesper Energy Development LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenleaf 1 | Natural gas | 66 MW | 2019 |
The Sutter County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 33,016 | $57,092 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,504 | $73,440 | 0.86 |
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 Sutter County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sutter County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Sutter County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Sutter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutter County | 98,787 | ▲ 3.0% | 904 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Butte County | 209,211 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Colusa County | 21,836 | ▼ 0.9% | 749 MW | — | — | — |
| Placer County | 442,081 | ▲ 9.1% | 773 MW | 1,023 MW | 1 | — |
| Sacramento County | 1,618,460 | ▲ 7.9% | 1,750 MW | 660 MW | 21 | — |
| Yolo County | 224,410 | ▲ 2.6% | 61 MW | 26 MW | 3 | — |
| Yuba County | 88,691 | ▲ 13.0% | 367 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of California
Sutter County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sutter County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Sutter County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Yuba City, CA in?
Yuba City is in Sutter County, California. About 69,485 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Sutter County?
7 operating plants with 904 MW of capacity. The largest is Sutter Energy Center (636 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Sutter County?
200 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Vesper Energy Development LLC.
Are there data centers in Sutter County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sutter County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sacramento County.
Is Sutter County adding jobs?
Employers counted 33,016 jobs in 2025 against 32,060 in 2019 (+3.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,529 to 1,504.
Does Sutter County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sutter County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.