Waldo County, Maine: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Belfast, Winterport and Searsport
Waldo 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. Waldo County is home to Belfast, Winterport, Searsport and Lincolnville. Construction employs 824, up 29.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by VCP Realty, LLC (solar), the 8th largest pipeline among Maine's counties. 1 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Penobscot County has 3 data centers. 131 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Waldo County
Waldo County is home to Belfast, Winterport, Searsport and Lincolnville.
And 2 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Searsport, Unity, Winterport.
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 Waldo County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 39,666 | 40,693 | ▲ 2.6% | 11th of 16 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,567 | 11,300 | ▼ 2.3% | 12th of 16 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,582 | $56,626 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 635 | 824 | ▲ 29.8% | 1st of 7 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 131 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 8th of 8 by size |
Its power plants have 149 MW of capacity, 88% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 145, at an average $64,293 a year. Employers here counted 11,300 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019. Central Maine Power Co is the largest utility serving Waldo 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. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 40,693 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Waldo County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +131 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Waldo 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 131 MW | 88% |
| Other technologies | 11 MW | 8% |
| Wind | 4 MW | 3% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Corners Solar | Three Corners Solar, LLC | Solar | 110 MW | 2024 |
| Georges River Energy | Robbins Lumber Inc | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2018 |
| ME - EDF - Phase II - Belfast | Shining Solar Partners, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Unity Solar | Madison Energy Holdings LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Perkins Road Belfast Solar, LLC | REA Investments, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Beaver Ridge Wind | CPV Beaver Ridge Wind LLC | Wind | 4 MW | 2008 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emery Shute Solar One | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | VCP Realty, LLC |
The Waldo County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,300 | $56,626 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 824 | $61,318 | 1.38 |
| Electrical contractors | 145 | $64,293 | 1.78 |
| Power and communication line construction | 11 | $55,091 | 0.60 |
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 Waldo County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Waldo County. Maine has 24 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Penobscot County.
Waldo County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Waldo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waldo County | 40,693 | ▼ 2.3% | 149 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Hancock County | 57,171 | ▲ 4.2% | 388 MW | 102 MW | — | — |
| Kennebec County | 129,067 | ▲ 2.8% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 41,117 | ▼ 3.8% | 16 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 36,595 | ▲ 1.9% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Penobscot County | 157,967 | ▲ 1.7% | 1,038 MW | 68 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Somerset County | 51,620 | ▼ 0.4% | 498 MW | — | — | — |
More of Maine
Waldo County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Waldo County, Maine?
2 utilities have service territory in Waldo 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 Waldo County?
9 operating plants with 149 MW of capacity. The largest is Three Corners Solar (110 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Waldo County?
1 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 1 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is VCP Realty, LLC.
Are there data centers in Waldo County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Waldo County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Penobscot County.
Is Waldo County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,300 jobs in 2025 against 11,567 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 635 to 824.
Does Waldo County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Waldo County. Maine has 24 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.