Hancock County, Maine: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ellsworth and Bar Harbor, and the communities of Bucksport
Hancock County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Hancock County is home to Ellsworth, Bar Harbor, Bucksport and Blue Hill, plus the unincorporated community of Bucksport. Construction employs 1,884, up 21.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 102 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Maine's counties. 102 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Penobscot County has 3 data centers. 106 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Hancock County
Hancock County is home to Ellsworth, Bar Harbor, Bucksport and Blue Hill, plus the unincorporated community of Bucksport.
And 12 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bucksport, Bar Harbor, Blue Hill, Castine, Northeast Harbor, Southwest Harbor, Winter Harbor.
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 Hancock County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 55,512 | 57,171 | ▲ 3.0% | 8th of 16 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,674 | 23,626 | ▲ 4.2% | 3rd of 16 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,281 | $56,173 | ▲ 39.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,546 | 1,884 | ▲ 21.9% | 3rd of 7 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 2.8% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 106 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 102 MW | 26% of today's fleet | 2nd of 8 by size |
Its power plants have 388 MW of capacity, 48% of it natural gas, the 5th largest fleet in Maine. Employers here counted 23,626 jobs in 2025, up 4.2% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 16 Maine counties). Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Central Maine Power Co is the largest utility serving Hancock County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 23.43¢/kWh in 2024, above the 17.06¢ median for Maine utilities. 57,171 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020, 8th of 16 Maine counties by population.
Who powers Hancock County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +106 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hancock 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% |
| Versant Power | Investor Owned | Bundled | 137,906 | 28.08¢ | 40% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 187 MW | 48% |
| Wind | 158 MW | 41% |
| Solar | 34 MW | 9% |
| Hydro | 9 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucksport Generation LLC | Bucksport Generation LLC | Natural gas | 187 MW | 2001 |
| Weaver Wind | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Wind | 73 MW | 2020 |
| Hancock Wind Plant | Onward Energy | Wind | 51 MW | 2016 |
| Bull Hill Wind Project | Evergreen Wind, LLC | Wind | 34 MW | 2012 |
| Ellsworth Hydro Station | Brookfield Black Bear Hydro, LLC | Hydro | 9 MW | 1924 |
| BD Solar Ellsworth LLC | BD Solar Hancock North LLC | Solar | 7 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC |
| Hogs Bay | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation |
The Hancock County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,626 | $56,173 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,884 | $61,502 | 1.51 |
| Electric utilities | 43 | $116,353 | 0.67 |
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 Hancock County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hancock County. Maine has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Penobscot County.
Hancock County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Hancock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 57,171 | ▲ 4.2% | 388 MW | 102 MW | — | — |
| Knox County | 41,117 | ▼ 3.8% | 16 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Penobscot County | 157,967 | ▲ 1.7% | 1,038 MW | 68 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Waldo County | 40,693 | ▼ 2.3% | 149 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 31,334 | ▼ 0.2% | 316 MW | — | — | — |
More of Maine
Hancock County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hancock County, Maine?
2 utilities have service territory in Hancock County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Central Maine Power Co, Versant Power. The largest, Central Maine Power Co, charged residential customers 23.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hancock County?
12 operating plants with 388 MW of capacity. The largest is Bucksport Generation LLC (187 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Hancock County?
102 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 102 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Three Rivers Solar Power, LLC.
Are there data centers in Hancock County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hancock County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Penobscot County.
Is Hancock County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,626 jobs in 2025 against 22,674 in 2019 (+4.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,546 to 1,884.
Does Hancock County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hancock County. Maine has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.