Thurston County, Washington: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater
Thurston County is a generation frontier for Washington. Thurston County is home to Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and Yelm. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by CENT bn, LLC (battery storage), the 6th largest pipeline among Washington's counties. Employers here counted 129,835 jobs in 2025, up 9.6% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 39 Washington counties). 136 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 6,232, up 0.2% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Thurston County
Thurston County is home to Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and Yelm.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Grand Mound, Nisqually Indian Community, North Yelm, Rochester, Tanglewilde.
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 Thurston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Washington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 296,013 | 304,261 | ▲ 2.8% | 6th of 39 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 118,452 | 129,835 | ▲ 9.6% | 3rd of 39 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,588 | $76,235 | ▲ 39.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,219 | 6,232 | ▲ 0.2% | 22nd of 33 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 117 | 98 | ▼ 16.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 171 | 434 | ▲ 153.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 4.3% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 136 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 134% of today's fleet | 6th of 11 by size |
Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Its power plants have 149 MW of capacity, 91% of it wind. Electrical contractors employ 796, at an average $96,920 a year. Puget Sound Energy Inc is the largest utility serving Thurston County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.07¢ median for Washington utilities. 304,261 people live here, up 2.8% since 2020, 6th of 39 Washington counties by population.
Who powers Thurston County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +136 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Thurston County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puget Sound Energy Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,091,599 | 14.63¢ | 41% |
| PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 39,881 | 12.52¢ | 34% |
| PUD No 1 of Lewis County | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 29,417 | 9.48¢ | 20% |
| Bonneville Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 56% |
| Tanner Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 136 MW | 91% |
| Hydro | 13 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skookumchuck Wind Facility | Southern Power Co | Wind | 136 MW | 2020 |
| Yelm | City of Centralia - (WA) | Hydro | 12 MW | 1930 |
| Skookumchuck | TransAlta Centralia Gen LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1990 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centralia Battery Energy Storage System | Batteries | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | CENT bn, LLC |
The Thurston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 129,835 | $76,235 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,232 | $89,316 | 0.91 |
| Electrical contractors | 796 | $96,920 | 0.85 |
| Power and communication line construction | 98 | $142,885 | 0.47 |
| Data processing and hosting | 434 | $128,057 | 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 Thurston County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Thurston County. Washington has 21 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Pierce County.
Thurston County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Thurston County, Pierce 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thurston County | 304,261 | ▲ 9.6% | 149 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Grays Harbor County | 78,144 | ▲ 2.6% | 767 MW | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 88,062 | ▲ 2.2% | 1,883 MW | — | — | — |
| Mason County | 71,165 | ▲ 4.0% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 946,288 | ▲ 6.4% | 641 MW | 200 MW | 6 | 1 |
More of Washington
Thurston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Thurston County, Washington?
5 utilities have service territory in Thurston County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Puget Sound Energy Inc, PUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County, PUD No 1 of Lewis County, Bonneville Power Administration. The largest, Puget Sound Energy Inc, charged residential customers 14.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lacey, WA in?
Lacey is in Thurston County, Washington. About 58,833 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Olympia, WA in?
Olympia is in Thurston County, Washington. About 56,724 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Tumwater, WA in?
Tumwater is in Thurston County, Washington. About 28,010 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Thurston County?
3 operating plants with 149 MW of capacity. The largest is Skookumchuck Wind Facility (136 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Thurston 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 CENT bn, LLC.
Are there data centers in Thurston County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Thurston County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pierce County.
Is Thurston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 129,835 jobs in 2025 against 118,452 in 2019 (+9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,219 to 6,232.
Does Thurston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Thurston County. Washington has 21 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.