Klamath County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Klamath Falls
Klamath County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Klamath County is home to Klamath Falls, Merrill, Chiloquin and Malin. Construction employs 1,207, up 32.9% since 2019. 2 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by PacifiCorp (battery storage). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Lake County has 400 MW of planned generation. 99 MW has retired here since 2019, including John C Boyle (hydro, 99 MW, 2024).
Cities and towns in Klamath County
Klamath County is home to Klamath Falls, Merrill, Chiloquin and Malin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Altamont, Beatty, Beaver Marsh, Bly, Chemult, Crescent, Crescent Lake, Falcon Heights, Fort Klamath, Gilchrist, Keno, Oregon Shores, Rocky Point, Running Y Ranch, Sprague River.
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 Klamath County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 69,624 | 70,274 | ▲ 0.9% | 15th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,261 | 23,884 | ▲ 2.7% | 15th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,138 | $54,944 | ▲ 36.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 908 | 1,207 | ▲ 32.9% | 4th of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.4% | 6.8% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 74 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 99 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 11th of 11 by size |
Its power plants have 762 MW of capacity, 81% of it natural gas, the 8th largest fleet in Oregon. 74 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 23,884 jobs in 2025, up 2.7% from 2019. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Klamath County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. Unemployment was 6.8% in August 2026, against 6.4% in 2019. 70,274 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Klamath County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −24 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Klamath County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 547,235 | 14.02¢ | 47% |
| Midstate Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,594 | 10.52¢ | 28% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | — | — | — | — | — |
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 20
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 619 MW | 81% |
| Solar | 138 MW | 18% |
| Hydro | 6 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klamath Cogeneration Plant | Klamath Energy LLC | Natural gas | 502 MW | 2001 |
| Klamath Expansion Project | Klamath Energy LLC | Natural gas | 118 MW | 2002 |
| Skysol | Skysol Holdco LLC | Solar | 61 MW | 2023 |
| OR Solar 3, LLC | Heelstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
| OR Solar 8, LLC | Heelstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2018 |
| Chiloquin Solar, LLC | Heelstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OIT BESS | Batteries | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | PacifiCorp |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| John C Boyle | Hydro | 99 MW | 2024 |
The Klamath County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,884 | $54,944 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,207 | $60,500 | 0.95 |
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 Klamath County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Klamath County. Oregon has 7 local measures on record statewide.
Klamath County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Klamath County, Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klamath County | 70,274 | ▲ 2.7% | 762 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Deschutes County | 213,072 | ▲ 10.1% | 51 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Douglas County | 111,951 | ▼ 1.5% | 268 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Jackson County | 221,795 | ▲ 1.8% | 185 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lake County | 8,187 | ▼ 4.5% | 125 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Lane County | 381,584 | ▼ 0.7% | 284 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Modoc County CA | 8,426 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Siskiyou County CA | 42,013 | ▼ 0.4% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Klamath County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Klamath County, Oregon?
4 utilities have service territory in Klamath County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Midstate Electric Coop, Inc, Bonneville Power Administration, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 14.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Klamath Falls, OR in?
Klamath Falls is in Klamath County, Oregon. About 22,111 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Klamath County?
20 operating plants with 762 MW of capacity. The largest is Klamath Cogeneration Plant (502 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Klamath County?
2 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is PacifiCorp.
Are there data centers in Klamath County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Klamath County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lake County.
Is Klamath County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,884 jobs in 2025 against 23,261 in 2019 (+2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 908 to 1,207.
Does Klamath County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Klamath County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.