Kent County, Delaware: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dover, Smyrna and Milford
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Kent County. Kent County is home to Dover, Smyrna, part of Milford (6,507 of its 14,723 residents) and Clayton. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers with no end date”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Harrington Logistics Building Data Center (Maguire Hayden) (24 MW). 61 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Freepoint Commodities LLC (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Delaware's counties. 61 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Kent County
Kent County is home to Dover, Smyrna, part of Milford (6,507 of its 14,723 residents) and Clayton.
- Milford also extends into Sussex County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dover Base Housing, Highland Acres, Kent Acres, Rising Sun-Lebanon, Riverview, Rodney Village, Woodside East.
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 Kent County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Delaware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 182,322 | 194,786 | ▲ 6.8% | 3rd of 3 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 67,799 | 70,905 | ▲ 4.6% | 2nd of 3 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,616 | $60,857 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 424 | 492 | ▲ 16.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 5.5% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 114 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 61 MW | 9% of today's fleet | 2nd of 3 by size |
114 MW has retired here since 2019, including McKee Run (natural gas, 114 MW, 2021). Electrical contractors employ 492, up 16.0% since 2019 against up 11.1% statewide, at an average $79,989 a year. Its power plants have 663 MW of capacity, 94% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in Delaware. 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 70,905 jobs in 2025, up 4.6% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 3 Delaware counties). Delmarva Power is the largest utility serving Kent County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.32¢ median for Delaware utilities. 194,786 people live here, up 6.8% since 2020, 3rd of 3 Delaware counties by population.
Who powers Kent County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kent County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delmarva Power | Investor Owned | Bundled | 301,950 | 17.23¢ | 23% |
| Delaware Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 104,839 | 14.22¢ | 19% |
| City of Dover - (DE) | Municipal | Bundled | 21,601 | 15.52¢ | 31% |
| City of Milford - (DE) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,169 | 15.17¢ | 29% |
| Town of Clayton - (DE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Smyrna - (DE) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 620 MW | 94% |
| Solar | 38 MW | 6% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrison Energy Center LLC | Garrison Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 361 MW | 2015 |
| Energy Center Dover | Cartier Energy, LLC | Natural gas | 118 MW | 1985 |
| Warren F Sam Beasley Generation Station | Delaware Municipal Electric Corp | Natural gas | 96 MW | 2002 |
| Van Sant Station | NAES Corporation - (DE) | Natural gas | 45 MW | 1991 |
| Milford Solar Farm | Milford Solar LLC | Solar | 12 MW | 2012 |
| Dover Sun Park | White Oak Solar Energy LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2011 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raceway Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 50 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Freepoint Commodities LLC |
| Delaware Ave Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Delaware Ave Solar, LLC |
| Chaberton Solar Crestone | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Pivot Energy |
| Sunrise Magnolia DE | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Standard Solar |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKee Run | Natural gas | 114 MW | 2021 |
The Kent County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 70,905 | $60,857 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 492 | $79,989 | 0.96 |
| Electric utilities | 88 | $180,394 | 0.46 |
| Data processing and hosting | 14 | $170,498 | 0.06 |
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 Kent County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers with no end date | In force | 2026-07 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrington Logistics Building Data Center (Maguire Hayden) | halted | 24 MW |
Kent County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Kent County, New Castle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 194,786 | ▲ 4.6% | 663 MW | 61 MW | — | 1 |
| Caroline County MD | 34,116 | ▼ 9.3% | 147 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kent County MD | 19,565 | ▼ 5.0% | 67 MW | — | — | — |
| New Castle County | 588,026 | ▲ 4.2% | 2,313 MW | 133 MW | 7 | 1 |
| Queen Anne's County MD | 54,448 | ▲ 4.1% | 167 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sussex County | 277,140 | ▲ 15.0% | 65 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
More of Delaware
Kent County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kent County, Delaware?
6 utilities have service territory in Kent County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Delmarva Power, Delaware Electric Cooperative, City of Dover - (DE), City of Milford - (DE). The largest, Delmarva Power, charged residential customers 17.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dover, DE in?
Dover is in Kent County, Delaware. About 40,592 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Smyrna, DE in?
Smyrna is in Kent County, Delaware. About 13,313 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kent County?
14 operating plants with 663 MW of capacity. The largest is Garrison Energy Center LLC (361 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Kent County?
61 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 61 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Freepoint Commodities LLC.
Are there data centers in Kent County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kent County. The nearest activity on record is next door in New Castle County.
Is Kent County adding jobs?
Employers counted 70,905 jobs in 2025 against 67,799 in 2019 (+4.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kent County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Kent County, 1 in force.