Klickitat County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Goldendale and White Salmon
Klickitat County is a generation frontier for Washington. Klickitat County is home to Goldendale, White Salmon and Bingen. 300 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Cypress Creek Renewables (solar), the 4th largest pipeline among Washington's counties. Construction employs 227, down 16.8% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 6.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 1,708 MW of capacity, 73% of it wind, the 6th largest fleet in Washington.
Cities and towns in Klickitat County
Klickitat County is home to Goldendale, White Salmon and Bingen.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bickleton, Centerville, Dallesport, Glenwood, Klickitat, Lyle, Maryhill, Roosevelt, Trout Lake, Wishram.
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 Klickitat County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,817 | 24,331 | ▲ 6.6% | 29th of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,412 | 7,092 | ▼ 4.3% | 37th of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,086 | $66,879 | ▲ 28.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 273 | 227 | ▼ 16.8% | 33rd of 33 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18 | 17 | ▼ 5.6% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 43 | 44 | ▲ 2.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.0% | 4.5% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 150 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 300 MW | 18% of today's fleet | 4th of 11 by size |
10 MW has retired here since 2019, including SDS Lumber Gorge Energy Division (other technologies, 10 MW, 2021). 150 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 7,092 jobs in 2025, down 4.3% from 2019. PUD No 1 of Klickitat County is the largest utility serving Klickitat County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.05¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. Electrical contractors employ 17, down 5.6% since 2019 against up 6.1% statewide, at an average $73,590 a year. 24,331 people live here, up 6.6% since 2020.
Who powers Klickitat County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +140 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Klickitat County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUD No 1 of Klickitat County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 11,917 | 12.05¢ | 29% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 56% |
| Yakama Power | — | — | — | — | — |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1,255 MW | 73% |
| Natural gas | 303 MW | 18% |
| Solar | 150 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldendale Generating Station | Puget Sound Energy Inc | Natural gas | 303 MW | 2004 |
| Windy Flats Wind Project | Windy Flats Partners LLC | Wind | 262 MW | 2009 |
| White Creek Wind Farm | White Creek Wind 1 LLC | Wind | 204 MW | 2007 |
| Big Horn Wind Project | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 199 MW | 2006 |
| Juniper Canyon I Wind Project | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 151 MW | 2011 |
| Lund Hill Solar | Avangrid Power LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carriger | Solar Photovoltaic | 160 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Bluebird Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 140 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Avangrid Power LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDS Lumber Gorge Energy Division | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2021 |
The Klickitat County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,092 | $66,879 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 227 | $59,114 | 0.60 |
| Electrical contractors | 17 | $73,590 | 0.33 |
| Electric utilities | 44 | $189,440 | 2.29 |
| Data processing and hosting | 9 | $157,353 | 0.41 |
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 Klickitat County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Klickitat County. Washington has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Skamania County, Yakima County.
Klickitat County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Klickitat County, Morrow 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Klickitat County | 24,331 | ▼ 4.3% | 1,708 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Benton County | 221,722 | ▲ 8.9% | 1,322 MW | 1,200 MW | 1 | — |
| Gilliam County OR | 1,971 | ▲ 3.0% | 1,884 MW | 82 MW | — | — |
| Hood River County OR | 23,720 | ▼ 3.7% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Morrow County OR | 12,602 | ▲ 8.6% | 1,943 MW | 2,765 MW | 15 | — |
| Sherman County OR | 2,051 | ▼ 1.6% | 3,426 MW | 1,050 MW | — | — |
| Skamania County | 12,669 | ▲ 4.5% | 240 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wasco County OR | 26,310 | ▼ 2.0% | 2,038 MW | 2,103 MW | 4 | — |
| Yakima County | 259,185 | ▼ 0.4% | 194 MW | 80 MW | 1 | 1 |
More of Washington
Klickitat County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Klickitat County, Washington?
3 utilities have service territory in Klickitat County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PUD No 1 of Klickitat County, Bonneville Power Administration, Yakama Power. The largest, PUD No 1 of Klickitat County, charged residential customers 12.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Klickitat County?
11 operating plants with 1,708 MW of capacity. The largest is Goldendale Generating Station (303 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Klickitat County?
300 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cypress Creek Renewables.
Are there data centers in Klickitat County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Klickitat County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morrow County.
Is Klickitat County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,092 jobs in 2025 against 7,412 in 2019 (-4.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 273 to 227.
Does Klickitat County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Klickitat County. Washington has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.