California runs on one of the most varied electricity systems in the country, and the Power Plant listings on this page reflect that. Wind farms in the Tehachapi hills, geothermal units near the Salton Sea, solar fields in the Antelope Valley and gas-fired stations near the coast all appear here. Some are large utility-scale facilities. Others are small campus or rooftop systems. This page explains who regulates them, how the regions differ, and how to get a useful answer when you contact one.

Who Regulates Power Plants in California

No single office handles everything. Responsibility is split among state agencies, local governments and the utilities that run the wires, so the right contact depends on your question.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) licenses thermal power plants of 50 megawatts or larger under the Warren-Alquist Act of 1974. That covers most large gas-fired stations. The CEC review replaces many local permits and includes environmental analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Public hearings and comment periods are part of the process, and case documents are posted in a public docket. Since 2022, developers of certain clean-energy projects can also opt in to CEC review.

Smaller plants, and most solar photovoltaic and wind projects, are permitted by the county or city where they sit. That is why a wind farm in Kern County and a solar field in San Bernardino County may follow different conditions, hearing schedules and community expectations.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regulates the investor-owned utilities: Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric. It oversees their rates and approves much of their power procurement. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) runs the grid for most of the state and manages the queue that new plants must clear to connect. Municipal utilities such as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District answer to their own boards and city councils, not the CPUC.

Air and water rules add another layer. Regional air districts, including the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District, issue permits for combustion equipment. The State Water Resources Control Board sets cooling-water policy that has pushed older coastal stations toward retirement or reduced operation.

Climate law frames all of it. Senate Bill 100, signed in 2018, sets a goal of 100 percent clean electricity for retail sales by 2045, which is why new solar, wind, geothermal and battery storage keep appearing in the listings.

Where California's Power Plants Cluster: Desert, Valley and Coast

Geography decides what kind of plant you find. Wind and sun are strongest in the inland deserts, geothermal heat sits under the Imperial Valley, and the few remaining coastal gas stations were built beside water and load centers.

Kern County and the Mojave-Tehachapi Corridor

Kern County has the second-highest count in our database, and the named listings show why. Difwind Farms Ltd VIII on Oak Creek Road in Mojave and the 85 B Power Plant on North Mill Street in Tehachapi sit in one of the state's oldest wind regions, where air funnels through the Tehachapi Pass. Ausra Kimberlina Solar Generation on Driver Road in Bakersfield represents the solar side. Rural sites like these often end at a locked gate rather than a front office, so phone ahead.

Los Angeles County: Antelope Valley Solar and Urban Entries

Los Angeles County holds the largest number of listings of any county, but they fall into two groups. In the north, Lancaster and Palmdale hold solar entries such as Antelope Big Sky Ranch on West Avenue J and Green Beanworks C PV on 110th Street East. In the basin, entries such as Greg Avenue show how thin some records are: a street name and a county, with no operator or phone. For those, start with the local utility.

Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial: Desert Energy

Riverside County includes Blythe Energy Inc on Buck Boulevard in Blythe, near the Arizona line, the CPV Sentinel Energy Project on Power Line Road in Desert Hot Springs, and Dillon Wind on North Indian Canyon Drive near Palm Springs. The San Gorgonio Pass around Palm Springs is a long-running wind area, and the Difwind Farms Ltd I listing on Interstate 10 belongs to it. In San Bernardino County, look at Expressway Solar B on Shay Road in Victorville and Mountainview Power Company in Redlands. Imperial County adds geothermal: the CalEnergy Vulcan Power Plant on Gentry Road in Calipatria draws on the Salton Sea geothermal field.

Coast, Bay Area and Central Valley

Elsewhere the listings turn smaller and more varied. Mandalay on North Harbor Boulevard in Oxnard is a coastal Ventura County entry. Ameresco Vasco Road in Livermore (Alameda County) and Cascade Energy Storage on Carpenter Road in Stockton (San Joaquin County) point to newer projects. San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento list building-level entries such as At&T Holger, Market & Second and the Department of General Services -FTB site on Butterfield Way. Fresno, Santa Clara, Contra Costa and Orange counties also rank among the busiest, so the same type-first approach applies there.

How to Read a California Power Plant Listing Before You Call or Visit

Our category is broad, so a listing can mean very different things. Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, Clovis North High in Fresno and Chaffey High in Ontario appear here too. Entries like these are typically on-site generation at a campus, not a public power station, so questions go to the school district's facilities office rather than a utility.

A few habits save time:

What a Neighbor in California Can Do About a Nearby Plant

Most public contact with power plants is about noise, dust, glare, construction traffic or a proposed expansion. The path depends on size. For a thermal plant of 50 megawatts or more, follow the CEC docket and submit written comments or speak at a hearing. For solar or wind projects permitted locally, watch county planning commission agendas. Notices of public hearings go to nearby property owners, and CEQA documents have formal comment windows.

For smoke, odors or emissions, call the regional air district. For billing, outages or service quality, call your utility first, then file a complaint with the CPUC if the problem stays unresolved. Bring the plant's name, the date and time of the issue, photographs and your address. A precise report is far easier to route.

Seasonal timing matters too. Summer heat waves push demand to its peak, and the grid operator may call on gas peaker units and batteries in the late afternoon and evening, so activity at some sites rises then.

Power plant facilities in California include a mix of federal, state, and municipally owned generation assets that contribute to the region's overall electricity supply. California's energy mix and the number of publicly owned facilities reflect the state's natural resources, regulatory environment, and historical development of its utility infrastructure.

Power Plant locations are available in 498 cities across California. They are spread across 55 counties.

Areas with the highest concentration of power plant locations include Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Lancaster, often reflecting proximity to water resources, fuel supply infrastructure, or industrial demand centers.

Residents of California who are customers of a municipal or public power utility can contact their local power authority for billing assistance, energy efficiency programs, and information about planned outages or infrastructure upgrades in their service area.

Power Plant by Counties

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Residents of California who receive electricity service from a publicly owned utility can visit or contact that utility's customer service office to learn about outage reporting, billing options, and energy assistance programs. For information about a specific power generation facility in California, contacting the state's public utility commission is often the best starting point.

Browse Power Plant by county across California to find the nearest location.

Routing Your Question Across California's Regions

California's size means the same question can land in different offices depending on where you live. Use this short routing guide before you start dialing.

In the Mojave and Tehachapi area of Kern County, county planning handles most solar and wind permits, and the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District covers combustion equipment. In Imperial County, the Imperial Irrigation District, not a large investor-owned utility, supplies power in much of the valley, so a geothermal plant near Calipatria connects into a different system than a plant in Orange County. In Los Angeles, the Department of Water and Power serves city customers while Southern California Edison serves many surrounding cities. PG&E covers most of the Bay Area and Central Valley, and SDG&E serves most of San Diego County.

Plan calls for weekday business hours. Many generating sites are staffed around the clock, but the office that answers public questions often is not.

California Power Plant FAQs

It depends on size and type. The California Energy Commission licenses thermal power plants of 50 megawatts or larger, and its decision takes the place of most local permits. Smaller thermal plants and most solar and wind projects go through the county or city planning department, usually with a conditional use permit and a review under the California Environmental Quality Act. Regional air districts issue separate permits for combustion equipment. Grid connection is handled through the California Independent System Operator or the local utility. If you are unsure which route applies, ask the county planning department first. Staff can usually tell you whether the project is in state or local hands.

Usually not without arranging it. Power plants are treated as critical infrastructure, and most sites are fenced, staffed around the clock and closed to walk-in visitors. Some operators and public utilities run scheduled tours or education programs for schools and community groups, but each operator sets its own rules, so call the number on the listing or the utility's community relations office. Where our database shows no phone, such as Antelope Big Sky Ranch in Lancaster or Cascade Energy Storage in Stockton, contact the county planning department or the utility serving that area. Never enter a gated site or fly a drone over one.

Our Power Plant category includes small on-site systems as well as large stations. Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, Chaffey High in Ontario and Clovis North High in Fresno are listed because of power equipment at the campus, most likely solar. Systems like these usually belong to, or are leased by, the school district, which means the district's facilities or maintenance department is the right contact. They are not public power stations and have no visitor office. If you need details about one, call the district rather than the school's front desk, since facilities staff hold the contracts and records.

Kern County combines strong wind in the Tehachapi Pass, high solar exposure on the valley floor and in the desert, existing transmission lines and large areas of open land. With 231 listings, it ranks second behind Los Angeles County in our data, and Bakersfield, Mojave, Tehachapi and Rosamond all appear. The county also has a long oil and gas history that left it with pipelines and utility infrastructure. For permit questions about any one plant, the Kern County planning department is the first stop. The Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District covers the eastern desert and mountain portion of the county.

Start by finding out who permits it. For thermal plants of 50 megawatts or more, the California Energy Commission posts a docket, hearing notices and a way to submit written comments. For other projects, the county or city planning commission holds hearings, and environmental review under CEQA includes a formal public comment period. Notices usually go to nearby property owners, and you can ask to be added to the project's mailing list. Written comments that cite specific concerns, such as noise, water use, glare, traffic or wildlife, carry more weight than general opposition. Meet the deadlines, because late comments may not be considered.

Call your utility, not the plant. Plants produce electricity and send it to the grid, while the utility delivers it to your home and handles outages, billing and service. In California that may be Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, San Diego Gas & Electric, or a public utility such as the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District or the Imperial Irrigation District. If a problem with an investor-owned utility is not resolved, the California Public Utilities Commission accepts consumer complaints. For public utilities, the next step usually runs through the utility's governing board or city council. Have your account number and service address ready.

Plant details change as projects are built, sold or retired, so confirm any address, operator and phone number with the operator or the county before you rely on it.