Grays Harbor County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Ocean Shores
Grays Harbor County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Grays Harbor County is home to Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Ocean Shores and Montesano. Electrical contractors employ 272, up 65.9% since 2019 against up 6.1% statewide, at an average $87,569 a year. Construction employs 1,486, up 35.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 7.1% in 2019. Next door, Thurston County has 200 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Grays Harbor County
Grays Harbor County is home to Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Ocean Shores and Montesano.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aberdeen Gardens, Amanda Park, Brady, Central Park, Cohassett Beach, Copalis Beach, Grayland, Hogans Corner, Humptulips, Malone, Markham, Moclips, Neilton, Ocean City, Ocosta, Oyehut, Pacific Beach, Porter, Queets, Qui-nai-elt Village, Santiago, Satsop, Taholah.
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 Grays Harbor County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 75,866 | 78,144 | ▲ 3.0% | 19th of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,189 | 23,790 | ▲ 2.6% | 19th of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,325 | $60,001 | ▲ 38.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,098 | 1,486 | ▲ 35.3% | 1st of 33 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 164 | 272 | ▲ 65.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.1% | 5.4% | ▼ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 767 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 23,790 jobs in 2025, up 2.6% from 2019. PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County is the largest utility serving Grays Harbor County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. 78,144 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Grays Harbor County
Utilities with service territory in Grays Harbor County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 39,881 | 12.52¢ | 34% |
| PUD No 3 of Mason County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 33,975 | 13.79¢ | 26% |
| PUD No 1 of Lewis County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 29,417 | 9.48¢ | 20% |
| PUD No 2 of Pacific County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,513 | 9.17¢ | 29% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 56% |
| City of McCleary - (WA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 715 MW | 93% |
| Other technologies | 33 MW | 4% |
| Hydro | 13 MW | 2% |
| Wind | 6 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grays Harbor Energy Facility | Invenergy Services LLC | Natural gas | 715 MW | 2008 |
| Sierra Pacific Aberdeen | Sierra Pacific Industries | Other technologies | 18 MW | 2003 |
| Cosmo Specialty Fibers Plant | Cosmo Specialty Fibers | Other technologies | 15 MW | 1957 |
| Wynoochee | City of Tacoma - (WA) | Hydro | 13 MW | 1994 |
| Coastal Energy Project | Coastal Community Action Program | Wind | 6 MW | 2010 |
The Grays Harbor County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,790 | $60,001 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,486 | $78,565 | 1.18 |
| Electrical contractors | 272 | $87,569 | 1.59 |
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 Grays Harbor County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grays Harbor County. Washington has 21 local measures on record statewide.
Grays Harbor County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Grays Harbor County, Lewis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grays Harbor County | 78,144 | ▲ 2.6% | 767 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 33,970 | ▲ 0.6% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 88,062 | ▲ 2.2% | 1,883 MW | — | — | — |
| Mason County | 71,165 | ▲ 4.0% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Pacific County | 24,357 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Thurston County | 304,261 | ▲ 9.6% | 149 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
More of Washington
Grays Harbor County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grays Harbor County, Washington?
6 utilities have service territory in Grays Harbor County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County, PUD No 3 of Mason County, PUD No 1 of Lewis County, PUD No 2 of Pacific County. The largest, PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County, charged residential customers 12.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Aberdeen, WA in?
Aberdeen is in Grays Harbor County, Washington. About 17,088 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Grays Harbor County?
5 operating plants with 767 MW of capacity. The largest is Grays Harbor Energy Facility (715 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Grays Harbor County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grays Harbor County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Thurston County.
Is Grays Harbor County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,790 jobs in 2025 against 23,189 in 2019 (+2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,098 to 1,486.
Does Grays Harbor County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grays Harbor County. Washington has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.