Morrow County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Boardman, Irrigon and Heppner
Morrow County is where a large share of Oregon's next power plants are planned. Construction employs 365, up 305.6% since 2019. 2,765 MW of new generation is planned here across 6 units, led by Sunstone Solar, LLC (solar), the largest pipeline among Oregon's counties. 365 MW of it is already under construction or built. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 15 data centers in Morrow County, 12% of Oregon's total. Morrow County is home to Boardman, Irrigon and Heppner. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Boardman Transmission Line / Amazon Data Center Support Infrastructure.
Cities and towns in Morrow County
Morrow County is home to Boardman, Irrigon and Heppner.
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 Morrow County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,219 | 12,602 | ▲ 3.1% | 29th of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,172 | 6,705 | ▲ 8.6% | 5th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,766 | $73,640 | ▲ 37.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 90 | 365 | ▲ 305.6% | 1st of 25 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 168 | 100 | ▼ 40.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 740 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 647 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2,765 MW | 142% of today's fleet | 1st of 11 by size |
647 MW has retired here since 2019, including Boardman (coal, 642 MW, 2020). 740 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 1,943 MW of capacity, 56% of it natural gas, the 4th largest fleet in Oregon. Employers here counted 6,705 jobs in 2025, up 8.6% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 36 Oregon counties). PacifiCorp is the largest utility serving Morrow 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 4.7% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 12,602 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020.
Who powers Morrow County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +93 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Morrow County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PacifiCorp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 547,235 | 14.02¢ | 47% |
| Umatilla Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,620 | 9.84¢ | 89% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 100% |
| Columbia Basin Elec Cooperative, 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 19
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,083 MW | 56% |
| Wind | 655 MW | 34% |
| Solar | 170 MW | 9% |
| Battery storage | 30 MW | 2% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carty Generating Station | Portland General Electric Co | Natural gas | 500 MW | 2016 |
| Coyote Springs | Portland General Electric Co | Natural gas | 296 MW | 1995 |
| Coyote Springs II | Avista Corp | Natural gas | 287 MW | 2003 |
| Wheatridge Hybrid | Wheatridge Wind Holdings, LLC | Battery storage | 280 MW | 2020 |
| Wheatridge East Wind | Wheatridge East Wind LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Tower Solar, LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Solar | 120 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 6
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunstone Solar | Batteries | 1,200 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Sunstone Solar, LLC |
| Sunstone Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 1,200 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Sunstone Solar, LLC |
| Wheatridge Optimization II | Solar Photovoltaic | 130 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Wheatridge Optimization II, LLC |
| Wheatridge Optimization I | Solar Photovoltaic | 110 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Wheatridge Optimization I, LLC |
| Wheatridge Optimization I | Batteries | 65 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Wheatridge Optimization I, LLC |
| Wheatridge Optimization II | Batteries | 60 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Wheatridge Optimization II, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boardman | Coal | 642 MW | 2020 |
| Threemile Digester | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2026 |
The Morrow County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,705 | $73,640 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 365 | $111,069 | 1.03 |
| Electric utilities | 100 | $173,152 | 5.51 |
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 Morrow County
15 data centers in Morrow County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boardman Transmission Line / Amazon Data Center Support Infrastructure | litigation active | — |
Morrow County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Morrow County, Umatilla 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morrow County | 12,602 | ▲ 8.6% | 1,943 MW | 2,765 MW | 15 | — |
| Benton County WA | 221,722 | ▲ 8.9% | 1,322 MW | 1,200 MW | 1 | — |
| Gilliam County | 1,971 | ▲ 3.0% | 1,884 MW | 82 MW | — | — |
| Grant County | 7,075 | ▼ 5.3% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Klickitat County WA | 24,331 | ▼ 4.3% | 1,708 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Umatilla County | 81,119 | ▲ 4.6% | 2,719 MW | 604 MW | 13 | — |
| Wheeler County | 1,472 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Morrow County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Morrow County, Oregon?
4 utilities have service territory in Morrow County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PacifiCorp, Umatilla Electric Coop Assn, Bonneville Power Administration, Columbia Basin Elec Cooperative, Inc. The largest, PacifiCorp, charged residential customers 14.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Morrow County?
19 operating plants with 1,943 MW of capacity. The largest is Carty Generating Station (500 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Morrow County?
2,765 MW across 6 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 365 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Sunstone Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Morrow County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 15 data centers in Morrow County.
Is Morrow County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,705 jobs in 2025 against 6,172 in 2019 (+8.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 90 to 365.
Does Morrow County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Morrow County. Oregon has 7 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.