Ventura County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oxnard, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks
Ventura County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Ventura County. Owners plan to retire 1,612 MW more by 2035, led by Ormond Beach in 2027. Ventura County is home to Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and San Buenaventura (Ventura). 135 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Hecate Grid Gwent Storage 1, LLC (battery storage). Its power plants have 2,039 MW of capacity, 91% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Ventura County
Ventura County is home to Oxnard, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and San Buenaventura (Ventura).
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bell Canyon, Casa Conejo, Channel Islands Beach, El Rio, Lake Sherwood, Meiners Oaks, Mira Monte, Oak Park, Oak View, Piru, Santa Rosa Valley, Santa Susana, Saticoy, Somis.
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 Ventura County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 843,793 | 830,851 | ▼ 1.5% | 12th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 331,001 | 335,864 | ▲ 1.5% | 37th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,848 | $72,148 | ▲ 24.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,018 | 17,704 | ▲ 4.0% | 28th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,482 | 1,497 | ▲ 1.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 301 | 375 | ▲ 24.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 182 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 135 MW | 7% of today's fleet | 18th of 30 by size |
Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Construction employs 17,704, up 4.0% since 2019. 182 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Electrical contractors employ 1,497, up 1.0% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $81,052 a year. Southern California Edison Co is the largest utility serving Ventura County. Its residential customers paid an average 32.43¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. Employers here counted 335,864 jobs in 2025, up 1.5% from 2019. 830,851 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Ventura County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +182 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ventura County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 25
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,852 MW | 91% |
| Battery storage | 158 MW | 8% |
| Solar | 25 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 0% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ormond Beach | Ormond Beach Power, LLC | Natural gas | 1,612 MW | 1971 |
| Saticoy | Ventura Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 100 MW | 2021 |
| Oxnard | Procter&Gamble Paper Products Co-Oxnard | Natural gas | 69 MW | 1982 |
| McGrath Peaker | Southern California Edison Co | Natural gas | 50 MW | 2012 |
| E F Oxnard Energy Facility | EF Oxnard, LLC | Natural gas | 48 MW | 1990 |
| CSUCI Site Authority | CSUCI Site Authority | Natural gas | 31 MW | 1988 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecate Grid Gwent Storage 1 | Batteries | 135 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Hecate Grid Gwent Storage 1, LLC |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ormond Beach | Natural gas | 1,612 MW | 2027 |
The Ventura County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 335,864 | $72,148 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 17,704 | $80,259 | 0.99 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,497 | $81,052 | 0.62 |
| Data processing and hosting | 375 | $220,882 | 0.36 |
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 Ventura County
2 data centers in Ventura County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Ventura County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Ventura County, Los Angeles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura County | 830,851 | ▲ 1.5% | 2,039 MW | 135 MW | 2 | — |
| Kern County | 927,068 | ▲ 4.6% | 18,776 MW | 3,420 MW | 3 | — |
| Los Angeles County | 9,694,934 | ▲ 0.3% | 14,115 MW | 1,236 MW | 77 | 2 |
| Santa Barbara County | 442,065 | ▲ 5.1% | 363 MW | 10 MW | 4 | — |
More of California
Ventura County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ventura County, California?
1 utility has service territory in Ventura County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern California Edison Co. The largest, Southern California Edison Co, charged residential customers 32.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Oxnard, CA in?
Oxnard is in Ventura County, California. About 199,651 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Simi Valley, CA in?
Simi Valley is in Ventura County, California. About 124,861 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Thousand Oaks, CA in?
Thousand Oaks is in Ventura County, California. About 122,230 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ventura County?
25 operating plants with 2,039 MW of capacity. The largest is Ormond Beach (1,612 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Ventura County?
135 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Hecate Grid Gwent Storage 1, LLC.
Are there data centers in Ventura County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Ventura County.
Is Ventura County adding jobs?
Employers counted 335,864 jobs in 2025 against 331,001 in 2019 (+1.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 17,018 to 17,704.
Does Ventura County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ventura County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.