Columbia County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Helens, Scappoose and Vernonia
Columbia County hosts some of the generating capacity Oregon runs on. Columbia County is home to St. Helens, Scappoose, Vernonia and Columbia City. Electrical contractors employ 46, up 35.3% since 2019 against up 12.8% statewide, at an average $94,401 a year. Next door, Washington County has 46 data centers and 200 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 722, up 8.6% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Columbia County
Columbia County is home to St. Helens, Scappoose, Vernonia and Columbia City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Deer Island, Warren.
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 Columbia County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 52,715 | 54,091 | ▲ 2.6% | 17th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,778 | 12,277 | ▲ 4.2% | 11th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,731 | $56,589 | ▲ 38.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 665 | 722 | ▲ 8.6% | 11th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34 | 46 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 5.7% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1,319 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Oregon. Employers here counted 12,277 jobs in 2025, up 4.2% from 2019. Portland General Electric Co is the largest utility serving Columbia County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 18.19¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. 54,091 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Columbia County
Utilities with service territory in Columbia County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland General Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 828,857 | 18.19¢ | 33% |
| Columbia River Peoples Ut Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,378 | 9.27¢ | 20% |
| Clatskanie Peoples Util Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 3,761 | 7.59¢ | 2% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| West Oregon Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,319 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver | Portland General Electric Co | Natural gas | 611 MW | 1974 |
| Port Westward | Portland General Electric Co | Natural gas | 483 MW | 2007 |
| Port Westward Unit 2 | Portland General Electric Co | Natural gas | 226 MW | 2014 |
The Columbia County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,277 | $56,589 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 722 | $74,783 | 1.11 |
| Electrical contractors | 46 | $94,401 | 0.52 |
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 Columbia County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Columbia County. Oregon has 7 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Washington County.
Columbia County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 54,091 | ▲ 4.2% | 1,319 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County WA | 532,119 | ▲ 11.2% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Clatsop County | 40,926 | ▲ 0.7% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Cowlitz County WA | 114,885 | ▲ 4.1% | 768 MW | — | — | — |
| Multnomah County | 795,391 | ▼ 4.9% | 1,588 MW | — | 12 | — |
| Tillamook County | 27,384 | ▲ 1.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Wahkiakum County WA | 4,873 | ▼ 4.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 611,708 | ▼ 0.2% | 99 MW | 200 MW | 46 | 1 |
More of Oregon
Columbia County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Columbia County, Oregon?
5 utilities have service territory in Columbia County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Portland General Electric Co, Columbia River Peoples Ut Dist, Clatskanie Peoples Util Dist, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, Portland General Electric Co, charged residential customers 18.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is St. Helens, OR in?
St. Helens is in Columbia County, Oregon. About 14,450 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Columbia County?
3 operating plants with 1,319 MW of capacity. The largest is Beaver (611 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Columbia County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Columbia County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Columbia County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,277 jobs in 2025 against 11,778 in 2019 (+4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 665 to 722.
Does Columbia County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Columbia County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.