Washington County, Maryland: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hagerstown, Boonsboro and Smithsburg
Washington County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Washington County is home to Hagerstown, Boonsboro, Smithsburg and Williamsport. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “12-month data center moratorium”. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including NA 1(Hagerstown) (battery storage, 2 MW, 2020). 36 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 74 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to Hagerstown, Boonsboro, Smithsburg and Williamsport.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Antietam, Bagtown, Bakersville, Beaver Creek, Big Pool, Big Spring, Breathedsville, Brownsville, Cavetown, Cearfoss, Charlton, Chewsville, Dargan, Downsville, Eakles Mill, Edgemont, Ernstville, Fairplay, Fairview, Fort Ritchie, Fountainhead-Orchard Hills, Gapland, Garretts Mill, Greensburg, Halfway, Highfield-Cascade, Indian Springs, Jugtown, Kemps Mill, Leitersburg, Mapleville, Maugansville, Mercersville, Middleburg, Mount Aetna, Mount Briar, Mount Lena, Paramount-Long Meadow, Pecktonville, Pinesburg and 12 more.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 154,699 | 157,731 | ▲ 2.0% | 11th of 24 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 64,943 | 66,110 | ▲ 1.8% | 11th of 24 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,701 | $59,257 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 76 | 145 | ▲ 90.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 36 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Employers here counted 66,110 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019. The Potomac Edison Company is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.83¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.84¢ median for Maryland utilities. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 157,731 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +34 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Potomac Edison Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 256,568 | 13.83¢ | 15% |
| Hagerstown Light Department | Municipal | Bundled | 15,099 | 7.77¢ | 27% |
| Town of Williamsport - (MD) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 15
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 74 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Solar | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 27 MW | 2013 |
| Kieffer Funk | Standard Solar | Solar | 12 MW | 2026 |
| Solar Hagerstown | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 10 MW | 2020 |
| Pinesburg Solar LLC | Madison Energy Holdings LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2020 |
| Bear One | Nautilus Solar Solutions | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Big Spring Solar (CSG) | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NA 1(Hagerstown) | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 66,110 | $59,257 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 145 | $114,532 | 0.71 |
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 Washington County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12-month data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Washington County, Loudoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 157,731 | ▲ 1.8% | 74 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Allegany County | 66,848 | ▼ 8.2% | 75 MW | — | — | — |
| Berkeley County WV | 139,522 | ▲ 7.5% | 7 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Franklin County PA | 160,652 | ▲ 2.4% | 518 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Frederick County | 302,883 | ▲ 1.7% | 87 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Fulton County PA | 14,483 | ▼ 9.2% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County WV | 63,102 | ▲ 9.4% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Loudoun County VA | 449,749 | ▲ 16.8% | 812 MW | 170 MW | 342 | 1 |
| Morgan County WV | 18,027 | ▲ 10.9% | — | — | 1 | — |
More of Maryland
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Maryland?
3 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: The Potomac Edison Company, Hagerstown Light Department, Town of Williamsport - (MD). The largest, The Potomac Edison Company, charged residential customers 13.83¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hagerstown, MD in?
Hagerstown is in Washington County, Maryland. About 44,228 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Washington County?
15 operating plants with 74 MW of capacity. The largest is Maryland Solar (27 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Washington County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Loudoun County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 66,110 jobs in 2025 against 64,943 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Washington County, 1 in force.