Deschutes County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bend, Redmond and Sisters
Deschutes County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Deschutes County. Deschutes County is home to Bend, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine. Construction employs 7,640, up 12.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 93,998 jobs in 2025, up 10.1% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 36 Oregon counties). Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Deschutes County
Deschutes County is home to Bend, Redmond, Sisters and La Pine.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Black Butte Ranch, Crooked River Ranch, Deschutes River Woods, Eagle Crest, Pronghorn, Seventh Mountain, Sunriver, Terrebonne, Tetherow, Three Rivers, Tumalo.
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 Deschutes County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 199,461 | 213,072 | ▲ 6.8% | 7th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 85,372 | 93,998 | ▲ 10.1% | 4th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,596 | $69,304 | ▲ 45.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,765 | 7,640 | ▲ 12.9% | 8th of 25 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 169 | 230 | ▲ 36.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35 | 134 | ▲ 282.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 51 MW of capacity, 78% of it solar. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Deschutes County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. 213,072 people live here, up 6.8% since 2020, 7th of 36 Oregon counties by population.
Who powers Deschutes County
Utilities with service territory in Deschutes County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 547,235 | 14.02¢ | 47% |
| Central Electric Coop Inc - (OR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,562 | 9.75¢ | 17% |
| Midstate Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,594 | 10.52¢ | 28% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| Harney 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 40 MW | 78% |
| Hydro | 12 MW | 22% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Creek Solar Center | GCL New Energy, Inc. | Solar | 10 MW | 2018 |
| NorWest Energy 2, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 10 MW | 2016 |
| OSLH, LLC | SunStrong Management | Solar | 10 MW | 2016 |
| Tumbleweed Solar, LLC | Heelstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Siphon Power Project | Central Oregon Irrigation Dist | Hydro | 5 MW | 1989 |
| Juniper Ridge Hydroelectric Project | Central Oregon Irrigation Dist | Hydro | 5 MW | 2010 |
The Deschutes County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 93,998 | $69,304 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,640 | $78,029 | 1.53 |
| Electric utilities | 230 | $150,901 | 0.90 |
| Data processing and hosting | 134 | $256,292 | 0.46 |
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 Deschutes County
3 data centers in Deschutes County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Deschutes County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Deschutes County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deschutes County | 213,072 | ▲ 10.1% | 51 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Crook County | 27,564 | ▲ 20.5% | 210 MW | 74 MW | 8 | — |
| Harney County | 7,380 | ▲ 3.1% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 25,740 | ▲ 2.0% | 532 MW | 494 MW | — | — |
| Klamath County | 70,274 | ▲ 2.7% | 762 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Lake County | 8,187 | ▼ 4.5% | 125 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Lane County | 381,584 | ▼ 0.7% | 284 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Linn County | 132,843 | ▲ 1.1% | 245 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Oregon
Deschutes County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Deschutes County, Oregon?
5 utilities have service territory in Deschutes County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Central Electric Coop Inc - (OR), Midstate Electric Coop, Inc, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 14.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bend, OR in?
Bend is in Deschutes County, Oregon. About 107,342 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Redmond, OR in?
Redmond is in Deschutes County, Oregon. About 38,547 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Deschutes County?
7 operating plants with 51 MW of capacity. The largest is Bear Creek Solar Center (10 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Deschutes County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Deschutes County.
Is Deschutes County adding jobs?
Employers counted 93,998 jobs in 2025 against 85,372 in 2019 (+10.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,765 to 7,640.
Does Deschutes County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Deschutes County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.