Aroostook County, Maine: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Presque Isle, Caribou and Houlton
The data center boom is not abstract in Aroostook County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Aroostook County, 8% of Maine's total. Electrical contractors employ 183, up 66.4% since 2019 against up 44.1% statewide, at an average $80,358 a year. Aroostook County is home to Presque Isle, Caribou, Houlton and Fort Kent. Construction employs 940, up 20.5% since 2019. 110 MW has retired here since 2019, including ReEnergy Ashland (other technologies, 40 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Aroostook County
Aroostook County is home to Presque Isle, Caribou, Houlton and Fort Kent.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ashland, Blaine, Eagle Lake, Fort Fairfield, Fort Kent, Grand Isle, Houlton, Island Falls, Limestone, Madawaska, Mapleton, Mars Hill, Oakfield, Van Buren, Washburn.
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 Aroostook County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 67,051 | 66,609 | ▼ 0.7% | 6th of 16 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 26,625 | 25,657 | ▼ 3.6% | 14th of 16 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,707 | $53,513 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 780 | 940 | ▲ 20.5% | 4th of 7 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 110 | 183 | ▲ 66.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.1% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 80 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 110 MW | — |
80 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 293 MW of capacity, 65% of it wind, the 8th largest fleet in Maine. Employers here counted 25,657 jobs in 2025, down 3.6% from 2019. Versant Power is the largest utility serving Aroostook County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 28.08¢/kWh in 2024, above the 17.06¢ median for Maine utilities. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 66,609 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020, 6th of 16 Maine counties by population.
Who powers Aroostook County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −31 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Aroostook County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Versant Power | Investor Owned | Bundled | 137,906 | 28.08¢ | 40% |
| Eastern Maine Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,803 | 17.06¢ | 23% |
| Houlton Water Company | Municipal | Bundled | 3,907 | 11.95¢ | 26% |
| Van Buren Light & Power Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
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 27
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 190 MW | 65% |
| Solar | 80 MW | 27% |
| Other technologies | 22 MW | 8% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakfield Wind Project | Onward Energy | Wind | 148 MW | 2015 |
| Mars Hill Wind Farm Project | Evergreen Wind, LLC | Wind | 42 MW | 2007 |
| Twin Rivers Paper Co LLC | Twin Rivers Paper Co LLC | Other technologies | 22 MW | 1987 |
| AES Daigle Solar, LLC | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
| BNRG Masardis (CSG) | Nautilus Solar Solutions | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Caribou Solar | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReEnergy Ashland | Other technologies | 40 MW | 2019 |
| ReEnergy Fort Fairfield | Other technologies | 38 MW | 2019 |
| Caribou Generation Station | Petroleum | 27 MW | 2019 |
| Flos Inn Diesel | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2019 |
The Aroostook County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 25,657 | $53,513 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 940 | $64,288 | 0.69 |
| Electrical contractors | 183 | $80,358 | 0.99 |
| Data processing and hosting | 14 | $163,326 | 0.18 |
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 Aroostook County
1 data center in Aroostook County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Aroostook County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Aroostook County, Penobscot 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aroostook County | 66,609 | ▼ 3.6% | 293 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Penobscot County | 157,967 | ▲ 1.7% | 1,038 MW | 68 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Piscataquis County | 17,409 | ▼ 5.4% | 210 MW | — | — | — |
| Somerset County | 51,620 | ▼ 0.4% | 498 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 31,334 | ▼ 0.2% | 316 MW | — | — | — |
More of Maine
Aroostook County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Aroostook County, Maine?
4 utilities have service territory in Aroostook County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Versant Power, Eastern Maine Electric Coop, Houlton Water Company, Van Buren Light & Power Dist. The largest, Versant Power, charged residential customers 28.08¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Aroostook County?
27 operating plants with 293 MW of capacity. The largest is Oakfield Wind Project (148 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Aroostook County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Aroostook County.
Is Aroostook County adding jobs?
Employers counted 25,657 jobs in 2025 against 26,625 in 2019 (-3.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 780 to 940.
Does Aroostook County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Aroostook County. Maine has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.