Washington County, Oregon: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hillsboro and Beaverton, and the communities of Rockcreek
Washington County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 46 data centers in Washington County, 38% of Oregon's total. Washington County is home to Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard and Forest Grove, plus the unincorporated community of Rockcreek. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “County declines to pursue data center moratorium”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Hillsboro Data Center Pipeline (city moratorium). 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by TUAL bn, LLC (battery storage), the 7th largest pipeline among Oregon's counties.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard and Forest Grove, plus the unincorporated community of Rockcreek.
- Tualatin also extends into Clackamas County.
- Wilsonville also extends into Clackamas County.
- Portland also extends into Multnomah County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Rockcreek, Aloha, Bethany, Bull Mountain, Cedar Hills, Cedar Mill, Cherry Grove, Dilley, Garden Home-Whitford, Marlene Village, Metzger, Oak Hills, Raleigh Hills, West Haven-Sylvan, West Slope.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oregon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 601,004 | 611,708 | ▲ 1.8% | 2nd of 36 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 303,103 | 302,567 | ▼ 0.2% | 24th of 36 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $73,226 | $90,003 | ▲ 22.9% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,528 | 2,276 | ▼ 10.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,515 | 1,472 | ▼ 2.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 97 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 202% of today's fleet | 7th of 11 by size |
Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 97 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 99 MW of capacity, 93% of it battery storage. Portland General Electric Co is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 18.19¢/kWh in 2024, above the 11.02¢ median for Oregon utilities. Employers here counted 302,567 jobs in 2025, down 0.2% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 2,276, down 10.0% since 2019 against up 12.8% statewide, at an average $107,350 a year. 611,708 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020, 2nd of 36 Oregon counties by population.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +97 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington 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% |
| City of Forest Grove | Municipal | Bundled | 10,369 | 9.93¢ | 9% |
| 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 92 MW | 93% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 5% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constable BESS | Portland General Electric Co | Battery storage | 75 MW | 2024 |
| Coffee Creek BESS | Portland General Electric Co | Battery storage | 17 MW | 2024 |
| MilfordSolar OR | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
| O'Neill Creek Solar | O'Neill Creek Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Durham AWTF | Clean Water Services | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2015 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tualatin Battery Energy Storage System | Batteries | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | TUAL bn, LLC |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 302,567 | $90,003 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,276 | $107,350 | 1.04 |
| Power and communication line construction | 566 | $135,818 | 1.16 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,472 | $172,982 | 1.57 |
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 Washington County
46 data centers in Washington County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County declines to pursue data center moratorium | Failed / vetoed | 2026-09 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro Data Center Pipeline (city moratorium) | halted | — |
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Washington County, Multnomah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 611,708 | ▼ 0.2% | 99 MW | 200 MW | 46 | 1 |
| Clackamas County | 426,280 | ▲ 3.2% | 278 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Clatsop County | 40,926 | ▲ 0.7% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 54,091 | ▲ 4.2% | 1,319 MW | — | — | — |
| Multnomah County | 795,391 | ▼ 4.9% | 1,588 MW | — | 12 | — |
| Tillamook County | 27,384 | ▲ 1.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Yamhill County | 110,024 | ▲ 8.0% | 36 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oregon
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Oregon?
4 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Portland General Electric Co, City of Forest Grove, Bonneville Power Administration, West Oregon Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Portland General Electric Co, charged residential customers 18.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hillsboro, OR in?
Hillsboro is in Washington County, Oregon. About 111,126 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Beaverton, OR in?
Beaverton is in Washington County, Oregon. About 97,842 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Tigard, OR in?
Tigard is in Washington County, Oregon. About 57,929 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Washington County?
5 operating plants with 99 MW of capacity. The largest is Constable BESS (75 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Washington County?
200 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is TUAL bn, LLC.
Are there data centers in Washington County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 46 data centers in Washington County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 302,567 jobs in 2025 against 303,103 in 2019 (-0.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Washington County, 0 in force.