Yuba County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Marysville and Wheatland
No data center or power plant project is on record in Yuba County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Yuba County is home to Marysville and Wheatland. 4 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by ZGlobal Inc (battery storage). 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Placer County has 1 data center and 1,023 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 20,975 jobs in 2025, up 13.0% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 58 California counties). Construction employs 1,006, down 12.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Yuba County
Yuba County is home to Marysville and Wheatland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beale AFB, Camptonville, Challenge-Brownsville, Dobbins, Linda, Loma Rica, Olivehurst, Plumas Lake, Smartsville.
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 Yuba County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 81,996 | 88,691 | ▲ 8.2% | 38th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,564 | 20,975 | ▲ 13.0% | 3rd of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,173 | $69,781 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,155 | 1,006 | ▼ 12.9% | 47th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 178 | 195 | ▲ 9.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 6.7% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 4 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 27th of 30 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 195, up 9.6% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $81,174 a year. Unemployment was 6.7% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 367 MW of capacity, 99% of it hydro. 88,691 people live here, up 8.2% since 2020. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Yuba 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.
Who powers Yuba County
Utilities with service territory in Yuba 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 364 MW | 99% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colgate | Yuba County Water Agency - (CA) | Hydro | 315 MW | 1969 |
| Narrows 2 | Yuba County Water Agency - (CA) | Hydro | 47 MW | 1969 |
| G2 Energy Ostrom Road LLC | G2 Energy LLC | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2009 |
| Deadwood Creek | Hydro Sierra Energy, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1993 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madena 3 | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | ZGlobal Inc |
The Yuba County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,975 | $69,781 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,006 | $77,712 | 0.91 |
| Electrical contractors | 195 | $81,174 | 1.29 |
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 Yuba County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Yuba County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide.
Yuba County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Yuba County, Placer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuba County | 88,691 | ▲ 13.0% | 367 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Butte County | 209,211 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Nevada County | 101,911 | ▲ 7.3% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Placer County | 442,081 | ▲ 9.1% | 773 MW | 1,023 MW | 1 | — |
| Plumas County | 18,583 | ▲ 1.0% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Sierra County | 3,098 | ▲ 12.7% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Sutter County | 98,787 | ▲ 3.0% | 904 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
More of California
Yuba County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Yuba County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in Yuba 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 Marysville, CA in?
Marysville is in Yuba County, California. About 12,738 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Yuba County?
4 operating plants with 367 MW of capacity. The largest is Colgate (315 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Yuba County?
4 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is ZGlobal Inc.
Are there data centers in Yuba County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Yuba County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Placer County.
Is Yuba County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,975 jobs in 2025 against 18,564 in 2019 (+13.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,155 to 1,006.
Does Yuba County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Yuba County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.