Sussex County, Delaware: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Seaford, Georgetown and Milford
Sussex County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Sussex County is home to Seaford, Georgetown, most of Milford (8,216 of its 14,723 residents) and Millsboro. 6 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Rifle Range Road Solar, LLC (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among Delaware's counties. 6 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 590, up 35.3% since 2019 against up 11.1% statewide, at an average $60,596 a year. Employers here counted 96,307 jobs in 2025, up 15.0% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 3 Delaware counties). 446 MW has retired here since 2019, including Indian River Generating Station (coal, 446 MW, 2025).
Cities and towns in Sussex County
Sussex County is home to Seaford, Georgetown, most of Milford (8,216 of its 14,723 residents) and Millsboro.
And 1 smaller places.
- Milford also extends into Kent County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lincoln, Long Neck.
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 Sussex County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Delaware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 238,627 | 277,140 | ▲ 16.1% | 2nd of 3 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 83,715 | 96,307 | ▲ 15.0% | 1st of 3 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,979 | $57,350 | ▲ 36.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 436 | 590 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 33 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 446 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 6 MW | 9% of today's fleet | 3rd of 3 by size |
277,140 people live here, up 16.1% since 2020, 2nd of 3 Delaware counties by population. 33 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Its power plants have 65 MW of capacity, 61% of it solar, the 3rd largest fleet in Delaware. Delmarva Power is the largest utility serving Sussex County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.23¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.32¢ median for Delaware utilities.
Who powers Sussex County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −413 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sussex 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 Milford - (DE) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,169 | 15.17¢ | 29% |
| City of Lewes - (DE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Seaford- (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 15
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 39 MW | 61% |
| Petroleum | 19 MW | 29% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 8% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River Generating Station | Indian River Operations Inc | Petroleum | 19 MW | 1967 |
| Ameresco Delaware South | AMERESCO Delaware South | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2006 |
| Heimlich Solar | Heimlich Solar Partners LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2024 |
| Bruce A Henry Solar Farm | Delaware Electric Cooperative | Solar | 4 MW | 2013 |
| CE DE - Harbeson | Standard Solar | Solar | 4 MW | 2026 |
| Chaberton Solar Biggins Creek LLC | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle Range Road Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Rifle Range Road Solar, LLC |
| DEL022-30423B Thorogoods Rd, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Pivot Energy |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River Generating Station | Coal | 446 MW | 2025 |
The Sussex County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 96,307 | $57,350 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 590 | $60,596 | 0.85 |
| Data processing and hosting | 79 | $183,015 | 0.26 |
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 Sussex County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sussex County. Delaware has 4 local measures on record statewide, and 5 neighboring counties have one: Caroline County, Dorchester County, Kent County, Wicomico County.
Sussex County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Sussex County, Kent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | 277,140 | ▲ 15.0% | 65 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Caroline County MD | 34,116 | ▼ 9.3% | 147 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dorchester County MD | 33,628 | ▲ 3.0% | 310 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kent County | 194,786 | ▲ 4.6% | 663 MW | 61 MW | — | 1 |
| Wicomico County MD | 106,899 | ▲ 2.3% | 32 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Worcester County MD | 54,459 | ▲ 4.9% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Delaware
Sussex County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sussex County, Delaware?
5 utilities have service territory in Sussex County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Delmarva Power, Delaware Electric Cooperative, City of Milford - (DE), City of Lewes - (DE). The largest, Delmarva Power, charged residential customers 17.23¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sussex County?
15 operating plants with 65 MW of capacity. The largest is Indian River Generating Station (19 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Sussex County?
6 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 6 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Rifle Range Road Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Sussex County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sussex County.
Is Sussex County adding jobs?
Employers counted 96,307 jobs in 2025 against 83,715 in 2019 (+15.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Sussex County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sussex County. Delaware has 4 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.