Baker County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Baker City
No data center or power plant project is on record in Baker County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Baker County is home to Baker City. 18 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 257, up 0.4% since 2019. Its power plants have 261 MW of capacity, 73% of it hydro. Oregon Trail El Cons Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Baker County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.08¢/kWh in 2024, below the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities.
Cities and towns in Baker County
Baker County is home to Baker City.
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 Baker County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,728 | 16,658 | ▼ 0.4% | 28th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,645 | 5,635 | ▼ 0.2% | 25th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,658 | $53,845 | ▲ 43.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 256 | 257 | ▲ 0.4% | 18th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 18 | ▼ 35.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 18 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 5,635 jobs in 2025, down 0.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. 16,658 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 18, down 35.7% since 2019 against up 12.8% statewide, at an average $60,627 a year.
Who powers Baker County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +18 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Baker County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Trail El Cons Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,997 | 10.08¢ | 28% |
| Idaho Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 14,098 | 11.29¢ | 23% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 190 MW | 73% |
| Wind | 53 MW | 20% |
| Solar | 18 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxbow (OR) | Idaho Power Co | Hydro | 190 MW | 1961 |
| Baker City Solar | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 15 MW | 2020 |
| Benson Creek Windfarm (Burnt River) | Benson Creek | Wind | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Durbin Creek Windfarm (Burnt River) | Durbin Creek | Wind | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Jett Creek Windfarm (Burnt River) | Jett Creek | Wind | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Prospector Windfarm (Burnt River) | Prospector | Wind | 10 MW | 2017 |
The Baker County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,635 | $53,845 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 257 | $54,416 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 18 | $60,627 | 0.44 |
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 Baker County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Baker County. Oregon has 7 local measures on record statewide.
Baker County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Baker County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker County | 16,658 | ▼ 0.2% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County ID | 5,013 | ▲ 2.3% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,075 | ▼ 5.3% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Malheur County | 32,261 | ▲ 4.7% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 25,900 | ▲ 1.7% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Wallowa County | 7,595 | ▲ 8.3% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County ID | 11,583 | ▲ 7.1% | 678 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Baker County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Baker County, Oregon?
3 utilities have service territory in Baker County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oregon Trail El Cons Coop, Inc, Idaho Power Co, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, Oregon Trail El Cons Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 10.08¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Baker City, OR in?
Baker City is in Baker County, Oregon. About 10,071 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Baker County?
9 operating plants with 261 MW of capacity. The largest is Oxbow (OR) (190 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Baker County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Baker County.
Is Baker County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,635 jobs in 2025 against 5,645 in 2019 (-0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 256 to 257.
Does Baker County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Baker County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.