Chelan County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wenatchee, Chelan and Leavenworth
Chelan County hosts some of the generating capacity Washington runs on. Chelan County is home to Wenatchee, Chelan, Leavenworth and Cashmere. Construction employs 2,551, up 33.5% since 2019. 50 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Helion Energy, Inc. (other technologies), the 10th largest pipeline among Washington's counties. Its power plants have 2,905 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro, the 2nd largest fleet in Washington. Next door, King County has 45 data centers.
Cities and towns in Chelan County
Chelan County is home to Wenatchee, Chelan, Leavenworth and Cashmere.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chelan Falls, Manson, South Wenatchee, Sunnyslope.
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 Chelan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 79,302 | 81,941 | ▲ 3.3% | 17th of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 44,249 | 44,636 | ▲ 0.9% | 28th of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,772 | $59,473 | ▲ 39.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,911 | 2,551 | ▲ 33.5% | 3rd of 33 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 4.0% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 50 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 10th of 11 by size |
Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019. PUD No 1 of Chelan County is the largest utility serving Chelan County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 3.67¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. Employers here counted 44,636 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. 81,941 people live here, up 3.3% since 2020.
Who powers Chelan County
Utilities with service territory in Chelan County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUD No 1 of Chelan County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 42,120 | 3.67¢ | 26% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 56% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 2,905 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Reach | PUD No 1 of Chelan County - (WA) | Hydro | 1,349 MW | 1961 |
| Wells | PUD No 1 of Douglas County - (WA) | Hydro | 867 MW | 1967 |
| Rock Island | PUD No 1 of Chelan County - (WA) | Hydro | 629 MW | 1931 |
| Chelan | PUD No 1 of Chelan County - (WA) | Hydro | 59 MW | 1927 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orion - Helion | All Other | 50 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Helion Energy, Inc. |
The Chelan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 44,636 | $59,473 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,551 | $86,753 | 1.08 |
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 Chelan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chelan County. Washington has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Kittitas County, Skagit County, Snohomish County.
Chelan County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Chelan County, King 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelan County | 81,941 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,905 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Douglas County | 46,473 | ▼ 1.1% | 2,456 MW | — | 8 | — |
| King County | 2,344,939 | ▲ 0.2% | 167 MW | — | 45 | — |
| Kittitas County | 48,803 | ▲ 9.1% | 483 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Okanogan County | 45,230 | ▲ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Skagit County | 132,975 | ▲ 2.7% | 648 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Snohomish County | 870,656 | ▲ 2.5% | 125 MW | 25 MW | 9 | 1 |
More of Washington
Chelan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chelan County, Washington?
2 utilities have service territory in Chelan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PUD No 1 of Chelan County, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, PUD No 1 of Chelan County, charged residential customers 3.67¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Wenatchee, WA in?
Wenatchee is in Chelan County, Washington. About 35,547 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Chelan County?
4 operating plants with 2,905 MW of capacity. The largest is Rocky Reach (1,349 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Chelan County?
50 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Helion Energy, Inc..
Are there data centers in Chelan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chelan County. The nearest activity on record is next door in King County.
Is Chelan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 44,636 jobs in 2025 against 44,249 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,911 to 2,551.
Does Chelan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chelan County. Washington has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.