Linn County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home
Linn County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Linn County. Linn County is home to most of Albany (47,669 of its 56,894 residents), Lebanon, Sweet Home and Harrisburg. Construction employs 3,228, down 0.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. Owners plan to retire 10 MW more by 2035, led by Carmen Smith in 2030.
Cities and towns in Linn County
Linn County is home to most of Albany (47,669 of its 56,894 residents), Lebanon, Sweet Home and Harrisburg.
- Albany also extends into Benton County.
- Mill City also extends into Marion County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cascadia, Crabtree, Crawfordsville, Holley, Lacomb, Peoria, Shedd, South Lebanon, West Scio.
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 Linn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 128,950 | 132,843 | ▲ 3.0% | 8th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 47,872 | 48,405 | ▲ 1.1% | 19th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,212 | $59,532 | ▲ 31.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,237 | 3,228 | ▼ 0.3% | 19th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 609 | 474 | ▼ 22.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 5.3% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 245 MW of capacity, 89% of it hydro. PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Linn 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. Employers here counted 48,405 jobs in 2025, up 1.1% from 2019. 132,843 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020, 8th of 36 Oregon counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 474, down 22.2% since 2019 against up 12.8% statewide, at an average $97,028 a year.
Who powers Linn County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Linn 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% |
| Emerald People's Utility Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 19,968 | 11.05¢ | 24% |
| Consumers Power, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,751 | 13.01¢ | 25% |
| 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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 219 MW | 89% |
| Other technologies | 21 MW | 9% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmen Smith | Eugene Water & Electric Board | Hydro | 114 MW | 1963 |
| Green Peter | USACE Northwestern Division | Hydro | 80 MW | 1967 |
| Evergreen BioPower LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Other technologies | 21 MW | 2007 |
| Foster | USACE Northwestern Division | Hydro | 20 MW | 1968 |
| Falls Creek | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 4 MW | 1984 |
| Marble Solar LLC (CSG) | SolRiver Capital LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2024 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmen Smith | Hydro | 10 MW | 2030 |
The Linn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 48,405 | $59,532 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,228 | $76,495 | 1.26 |
| Electrical contractors | 474 | $97,028 | 1.36 |
| Power and communication line construction | 67 | $103,068 | 0.86 |
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 Linn County
1 data center in Linn County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Linn County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Linn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County | 132,843 | ▲ 1.1% | 245 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Benton County | 97,728 | ▲ 0.9% | 12 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Deschutes County | 213,072 | ▲ 10.1% | 51 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Jefferson County | 25,740 | ▲ 2.0% | 532 MW | 494 MW | — | — |
| Lane County | 381,584 | ▼ 0.7% | 284 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Marion County | 355,777 | ▲ 10.7% | 177 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Polk County | 90,037 | ▲ 0.9% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Linn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Linn County, Oregon?
5 utilities have service territory in Linn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Central Electric Coop Inc - (OR), Emerald People's Utility Dist, Consumers Power, Inc. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 14.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Albany, OR in?
Most of Albany is in Linn County: 47,669 of its 56,894 residents, or 84%. The rest of the city lies in Benton County.
What county is Lebanon, OR in?
Lebanon is in Linn County, Oregon. About 20,267 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Sweet Home, OR in?
Sweet Home is in Linn County, Oregon. About 10,308 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Linn County?
8 operating plants with 245 MW of capacity. The largest is Carmen Smith (114 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Linn County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Linn County.
Is Linn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 48,405 jobs in 2025 against 47,872 in 2019 (+1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,237 to 3,228.
Does Linn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Linn County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.