Tuolumne County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sonora
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Tuolumne County. Tuolumne County is home to Sonora. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed 45-day data center moratorium not advanced”. Construction employs 837, down 6.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,166 MW of capacity, 96% of it hydro. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Tuolumne County
Tuolumne County is home to Sonora.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cedar Ridge, Chinese Camp, Cold Springs, Columbia, East Sonora, Groveland, Jamestown, Long Barn, Mi-Wuk Village, Mono Vista, Phoenix Lake, Pine Mountain Lake, Sierra Village, Soulsbyville, Strawberry, Tuolumne City, Tuttletown, Twain Harte.
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 Tuolumne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 55,369 | 53,160 | ▼ 4.0% | 43rd of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,703 | 18,392 | ▲ 3.9% | 25th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,668 | $60,585 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 896 | 837 | ▼ 6.6% | 41st of 51 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 5.6% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Employers here counted 18,392 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Tuolumne 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. 53,160 people live here, down 4.0% since 2020.
Who powers Tuolumne County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +14 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Tuolumne 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% |
| Turlock Irrigation District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 80,575 | 16.34¢ | 24% |
| Tuolumne County Pub Power Agny | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 20
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 1,118 MW | 96% |
| Other technologies | 32 MW | 3% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Melones | U S Bureau of Reclamation | Hydro | 300 MW | 1979 |
| Dion R Holm | City & County of San Francisco - (CA) | Hydro | 180 MW | 1960 |
| Don Pedro | Turlock Irrigation District | Hydro | 171 MW | 1971 |
| R C Kirkwood | City & County of San Francisco - (CA) | Hydro | 133 MW | 1967 |
| Moccasin | City & County of San Francisco - (CA) | Hydro | 104 MW | 1969 |
| Stanislaus | Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Hydro | 82 MW | 1963 |
The Tuolumne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,392 | $60,585 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 837 | $76,127 | 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 Tuolumne County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed 45-day data center moratorium not advanced | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 |
Tuolumne County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Tuolumne County, Stanislaus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuolumne County | 53,160 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,166 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Alpine County | 1,043 | ▲ 32.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Calaveras County | 46,605 | ▲ 3.6% | 285 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Madera County | 167,927 | ▲ 13.3% | 496 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Mariposa County | 16,918 | ▲ 8.5% | 104 MW | — | — | — |
| Merced County | 297,260 | ▲ 6.0% | 849 MW | 424 MW | — | — |
| Mono County | 12,505 | ▲ 8.5% | 187 MW | — | — | — |
| Stanislaus County | 557,719 | ▲ 3.1% | 1,505 MW | 100 MW | 6 | 1 |
More of California
Tuolumne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tuolumne County, California?
5 utilities have service territory in Tuolumne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., Southern California Edison Co, Turlock Irrigation District, Tuolumne County Pub Power Agny. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Tuolumne County?
20 operating plants with 1,166 MW of capacity. The largest is New Melones (300 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Tuolumne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Tuolumne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Merced County.
Is Tuolumne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,392 jobs in 2025 against 17,703 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 896 to 837.
Does Tuolumne County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Tuolumne County, 0 in force.