Tulare County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Visalia, Tulare and Porterville
New generation is lining up in Tulare County. Tulare County is home to Visalia, Tulare, Porterville and Dinuba. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Data center moratorium, extended into mid-2027”. 625 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by 22SV 8ME LLC (battery storage), the 10th largest pipeline among California's counties. 225 MW of it is already under construction or built. 1,003 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Construction employs 7,231, up 14.3% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Tulare County
Tulare County is home to Visalia, Tulare, Porterville and Dinuba.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allensworth, Alpaugh, California Hot Springs, Camp Nelson, Cedar Slope, Cutler, Delft Colony, Ducor, Earlimart, East Orosi, East Porterville, East Tulare Villa, El Monte Mobile Village, El Rancho, Goshen, Hartland, Hypericum, Idlewild, Ivanhoe, Jovista, Kennedy Meadows, Lemon Cove, Lindcove, Linnell Camp, London, Matheny, McClenney Tract, Monson, Orosi, Panorama Heights, Patterson Tract, Pierpoint, Pine Flat, Pixley, Plainview, Ponderosa, Poplar-Cotton Center, Posey, Poso Park, Richgrove and 22 more.
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 Tulare County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 473,915 | 485,146 | ▲ 2.4% | 18th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 165,321 | 174,610 | ▲ 5.6% | 20th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,744 | $54,792 | ▲ 31.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,329 | 7,231 | ▲ 14.3% | 15th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 701 | 855 | ▲ 22.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 9.7% | 10.4% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,003 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 625 MW | 44% of today's fleet | 10th of 30 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 855, up 22.0% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $74,359 a year. Its power plants have 1,415 MW of capacity, 56% of it solar. 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including Dinuba Energy (other technologies, 12 MW, 2024). Employers here counted 174,610 jobs in 2025, up 5.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 10.4% in August 2026, against 9.7% in 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Tulare 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. 485,146 people live here, up 2.4% since 2020.
Who powers Tulare County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +992 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Tulare 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% |
| Southern California Edison Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,594,415 | 32.43¢ | 56% |
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 66
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 791 MW | 56% |
| Battery storage | 506 MW | 36% |
| Natural gas | 70 MW | 5% |
| Hydro | 41 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 8 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rexford Solar Farm | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 540 MW | 2025 |
| Deer Creek Hybrid | Deer Creek Solar I, LLC | Battery storage | 103 MW | 2026 |
| Shirk Energy Storage | VESI 15 LLC | Battery storage | 80 MW | 2026 |
| Angela Solar Project | Angiola East LLC | Battery storage | 80 MW | 2026 |
| Bottleneck Energy Storage | VESI 12 LLC | Battery storage | 80 MW | 2024 |
| Delano Energy Center | Wellhead Services, Inc | Natural gas | 60 MW | 2013 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rexford 2 Solar Farm | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | 22SV 8ME LLC |
| Rexford 2 Solar Farm | Batteries | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | 22SV 8ME LLC |
| Anode (Springville) BESS | Batteries | 112 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Southern California Edison Co |
| Anode (Springville) BESS | Batteries | 112 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Southern California Edison Co |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dinuba Energy | Other technologies | 12 MW | 2024 |
The Tulare County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 174,610 | $54,792 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,231 | $69,507 | 0.78 |
| Electrical contractors | 855 | $74,359 | 0.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6 | $91,861 | 0.01 |
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 Tulare County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data center moratorium, extended into mid-2027 | In force | 2026-09 |
Tulare County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Tulare County, Kern 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulare County | 485,146 | ▲ 5.6% | 1,415 MW | 625 MW | — | 1 |
| Fresno County | 1,035,456 | ▲ 7.2% | 5,884 MW | 3,546 MW | 4 | — |
| Inyo County | 18,158 | ▼ 0.6% | 465 MW | 1,000 MW | — | — |
| Kern County | 927,068 | ▲ 4.6% | 18,776 MW | 3,420 MW | 3 | — |
| Kings County | 154,327 | ▲ 6.5% | 2,820 MW | 612 MW | — | — |
More of California
Tulare County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tulare County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Tulare County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Visalia, CA in?
Visalia is in Tulare County, California. About 146,541 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Tulare, CA in?
Tulare is in Tulare County, California. About 73,907 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Porterville, CA in?
Porterville is in Tulare County, California. About 63,088 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Tulare County?
66 operating plants with 1,415 MW of capacity. The largest is Rexford Solar Farm (540 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Tulare County?
625 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 225 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is 22SV 8ME LLC.
Are there data centers in Tulare County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tulare County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Fresno County.
Is Tulare County adding jobs?
Employers counted 174,610 jobs in 2025 against 165,321 in 2019 (+5.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,329 to 7,231.
Does Tulare County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Tulare County, 1 in force.