Somerset County, Maryland: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Princess Anne and Crisfield
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Somerset County. Somerset County is home to Princess Anne and Crisfield. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Smith Island (petroleum, 1 MW, 2021). Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. 44 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Somerset County
Somerset County is home to Princess Anne and Crisfield.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chance, Dames Quarter, Deal Island, Eden, Fairmount, Frenchtown-Rumbly, Mount Vernon, Smith Island, West Pocomoke.
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 Somerset County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,557 | 24,973 | ▲ 1.7% | 23rd of 24 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,736 | 7,051 | ▲ 4.7% | 5th of 24 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,910 | $60,195 | ▲ 25.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 4.4% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 44 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Employers here counted 7,051 jobs in 2025, up 4.7% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 24 Maryland counties). Its power plants have 142 MW of capacity, 87% of it solar. Delmarva Power is the largest utility serving Somerset County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.22¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.84¢ median for Maryland utilities. 24,973 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Somerset County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +43 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Somerset County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delmarva Power | Investor Owned | Bundled | 186,368 | 20.22¢ | 17% |
| Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 50,697 | 16.46¢ | 23% |
| A & N Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 253 | 13.69¢ | 20% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 123 MW | 87% |
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 11% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Bay Solar 1 | Great Bay Solar I LLC | Solar | 118 MW | 2018 |
| Crisfield | Calpine Mid-Atlantic Generation LLC | Petroleum | 12 MW | 1968 |
| Eastern Correctional Institute | Maryland Environmental Service | Natural gas | 6 MW | 1987 |
| UMMS at Pocomoke | Luminace Solar Maryland II, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2013 |
| UMES (MD) - Princess Anne | NVT LICENSES, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2011 |
| Smith Island | A & N Electric Coop | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1994 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Island | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Somerset County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,051 | $60,195 | 1.00 |
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 Somerset County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-01 |
Somerset County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Somerset County, Accomack 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County | 24,973 | ▲ 4.7% | 142 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Accomack County VA | 33,859 | ▼ 2.1% | 540 MW | — | — | — |
| Dorchester County | 33,628 | ▲ 3.0% | 310 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wicomico County | 106,899 | ▲ 2.3% | 32 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Worcester County | 54,459 | ▲ 4.9% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Maryland
Somerset County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Somerset County, Maryland?
3 utilities have service territory in Somerset County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Delmarva Power, Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc, A & N Electric Coop. The largest, Delmarva Power, charged residential customers 20.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Somerset County?
6 operating plants with 142 MW of capacity. The largest is Great Bay Solar 1 (118 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Somerset County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Somerset County.
Is Somerset County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,051 jobs in 2025 against 6,736 in 2019 (+4.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Somerset County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Somerset County, 0 in force.