Cumberland County, Maine: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Portland and South Portland, and the communities of Brunswick and Gorham
The data center boom is not abstract in Cumberland County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Cumberland County, 67% of Maine's total. Cumberland County is home to Portland, South Portland, Scarborough and Brunswick, plus the unincorporated communities of Brunswick and Gorham. Electrical contractors employ 1,145, up 51.9% since 2019 against up 44.1% statewide, at an average $73,723 a year. 27 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by West Baldwin Solar Station LLC (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among Maine's counties. Its power plants have 1,799 MW of capacity, 49% of it petroleum, the largest fleet in Maine.
Cities and towns in Cumberland County
Cumberland County is home to Portland, South Portland, Scarborough and Brunswick, plus the unincorporated communities of Brunswick and Gorham.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brunswick, Gorham, Bridgton, Casco, Cousins Island, Cumberland Center, Dunstan, Falmouth, Falmouth Foreside, Freeport, Gray, Little Falls, Littlejohn Island, Naples, North Windham, Oak Hill, South Windham, Standish, Steep Falls, Yarmouth.
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 Cumberland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 303,588 | 317,222 | ▲ 4.5% | 1st of 16 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 187,618 | 194,746 | ▲ 3.8% | 4th of 16 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,075 | $74,201 | ▲ 37.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 754 | 1,145 | ▲ 51.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 124 | 194 | ▲ 56.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 271 | 375 | ▲ 38.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.6% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 222 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 27 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 6th of 8 by size |
222 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including S D Warren Westbrook (hydro, 1 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 194,746 jobs in 2025, up 3.8% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 16 Maine counties). Central Maine Power Co is the largest utility serving Cumberland County. Its residential customers paid an average 23.43¢/kWh in 2024, above the 17.06¢ median for Maine utilities. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. 317,222 people live here, up 4.5% since 2020, 1st of 16 Maine counties by population.
Who powers Cumberland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +221 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cumberland County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Maine Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 577,955 | 23.43¢ | 22% |
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 22
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 881 MW | 49% |
| Natural gas | 564 MW | 31% |
| Battery storage | 192 MW | 11% |
| Other technologies | 76 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 47 MW | 3% |
| Hydro | 40 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| William F Wyman Hybrid | FPL Energy Wyman LLC | Petroleum | 863 MW | 1957 |
| Westbrook Energy Center Power Plant | Westbrook Energy Center | Natural gas | 564 MW | 2001 |
| Cross Town Energy Storage | Cross Town Energy Storage LLC | Battery storage | 175 MW | 2025 |
| S D Warren Westbrook | Relevate Power Management LLC | Hydro | 70 MW | 1903 |
| Cape Gas Turbine | FPL Energy Cape LLC | Petroleum | 35 MW | 1970 |
| Brunswick Hydro | Brookfield White Pine Hydro LLC | Hydro | 20 MW | 1982 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Baldwin Solar Station | Solar Photovoltaic | 17 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | West Baldwin Solar Station LLC |
| South Portland ESS, LLC | Batteries | 10 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | South Portland ESS, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| S D Warren Westbrook | Hydro | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Cumberland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 194,746 | $74,201 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,145 | $73,723 | 0.82 |
| Power and communication line construction | 194 | $118,826 | 0.62 |
| Electric utilities | 302 | $148,297 | 0.57 |
| Data processing and hosting | 375 | $127,808 | 0.62 |
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 Cumberland County
8 data centers in Cumberland County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cumberland County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Cumberland County, York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 317,222 | ▲ 3.8% | 1,799 MW | 27 MW | 8 | — |
| Androscoggin County | 116,487 | ▼ 2.6% | 196 MW | 30 MW | — | 1 |
| Oxford County | 60,346 | ▲ 0.6% | 595 MW | — | — | — |
| Sagadahoc County | 37,979 | ▲ 5.8% | 24 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| York County | 222,434 | ▲ 6.8% | 158 MW | 271 MW | — | — |
More of Maine
Cumberland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cumberland County, Maine?
1 utility has service territory in Cumberland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Central Maine Power Co. The largest, Central Maine Power Co, charged residential customers 23.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Portland, ME in?
Portland is in Cumberland County, Maine. About 69,911 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is South Portland, ME in?
South Portland is in Cumberland County, Maine. About 27,007 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Scarborough, ME in?
Scarborough is in Cumberland County, Maine. About 24,547 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cumberland County?
22 operating plants with 1,799 MW of capacity. The largest is William F Wyman Hybrid (863 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Cumberland County?
27 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is West Baldwin Solar Station LLC.
Are there data centers in Cumberland County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Cumberland County.
Is Cumberland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 194,746 jobs in 2025 against 187,618 in 2019 (+3.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cumberland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cumberland County. Maine has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.