Bristol County, Massachusetts: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to New Bedford, Fall River and Taunton
Bristol 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. Bristol County is home to New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton and Attleboro. 189 MW of new generation is planned here across 6 units, led by Somerset Energy Storage, LLC (battery storage), the 3rd largest pipeline among Massachusetts's counties. 10 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Providence County, Rhode Island, has 7 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 1,855, up 20.5% since 2019 against up 3.4% statewide, at an average $90,692 a year. 37 MW has retired here since 2019, including Cleary Flood Hybrid (petroleum, 28 MW, 2020).
Cities and towns in Bristol County
Bristol County is home to New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton and Attleboro.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Acushnet Center, Bliss Corner, Mansfield Center, North Seekonk, North Westport, Norton Center, Ocean Grove, Raynham Center, Smith Mills, Somerset.
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 Bristol County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 576,723 | 593,640 | ▲ 2.9% | 6th of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 228,578 | 225,223 | ▼ 1.5% | 8th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,641 | $66,851 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,540 | 1,855 | ▲ 20.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 272 | 346 | ▲ 27.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 74 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 37 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 189 MW | 32% of today's fleet | 3rd of 8 by size |
Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 74 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 596 MW of capacity, 70% of it natural gas, the 9th largest fleet in Massachusetts. NSTAR Electric Company is the largest utility serving Bristol County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 29.91¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.18¢ median for Massachusetts utilities. Employers here counted 225,223 jobs in 2025, down 1.5% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 14 Massachusetts counties). 593,640 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020, 6th of 14 Massachusetts counties by population.
Who powers Bristol County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +37 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bristol County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSTAR Electric Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,303,076 | 29.91¢ | 27% |
| Massachusetts Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,210,113 | 33.60¢ | 24% |
| City of Taunton | Municipal | Bundled | 35,684 | 21.46¢ | 23% |
| Town of North Attleborough - (MA) | Municipal | Bundled | 12,607 | 15.91¢ | 16% |
| Town of Mansfield - (MA) | Municipal | Bundled | 9,399 | 15.16¢ | 9% |
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 67
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 417 MW | 70% |
| Solar | 148 MW | 25% |
| Battery storage | 12 MW | 2% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 2% |
| Wind | 5 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dighton Power Plant | Dighton Power, LLC | Natural gas | 200 MW | 1999 |
| Cleary Flood Hybrid | City of Taunton - (MA) | Natural gas | 121 MW | 1975 |
| Dartmouth Power Associates LP | Dartmouth Energy Center | Natural gas | 97 MW | 1992 |
| West Water Street | City of Taunton - (MA) | Petroleum | 10 MW | 2018 |
| NL MA - Copicut | Standard Solar | Solar | 8 MW | 2025 |
| Brookwood Drive Community Solar | AES Distributed Energy | Battery storage | 8 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 6
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Cod BESS | Batteries | 168 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Somerset Energy Storage, LLC |
| Borrego - Highland Ave | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Highland Ave Solar 1, LLC |
| Borrego - Highland Ave | Batteries | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Highland Ave Solar 1, LLC |
| Clems Way Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | ReWild Renewables, LLC |
| MA Acushnet 540R Main St | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | TJA 540R Main St. Acushnet, LLC |
| MA Acushnet 540R Main St | Batteries | 2 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | TJA 540R Main St. Acushnet, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleary Flood Hybrid | Petroleum | 28 MW | 2020 |
| GRS Fall River | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2022 |
| MM Taunton Energy | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2025 |
The Bristol County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 225,223 | $66,851 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,855 | $90,692 | 1.14 |
| Electric utilities | 346 | $160,205 | 0.57 |
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 Bristol County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bristol County. Massachusetts has 17 local measures on record statewide.
Bristol County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Bristol County, Providence 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County | 593,640 | ▼ 1.5% | 596 MW | 189 MW | — | — |
| Bristol County RI | 50,001 | ▲ 9.5% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
| Newport County RI | 83,051 | ▲ 3.5% | 317 MW | — | — | — |
| Norfolk County | 739,749 | ▼ 1.6% | 2,741 MW | 11 MW | 2 | — |
| Plymouth County | 546,829 | ▲ 0.2% | 473 MW | 52 MW | 3 | — |
| Providence County RI | 678,179 | ▲ 0.5% | 1,907 MW | 4 MW | 7 | — |
More of Massachusetts
Bristol County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bristol County, Massachusetts?
5 utilities have service territory in Bristol County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NSTAR Electric Company, Massachusetts Electric Co, City of Taunton, Town of North Attleborough - (MA). The largest, NSTAR Electric Company, charged residential customers 29.91¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is New Bedford, MA in?
New Bedford is in Bristol County, Massachusetts. About 101,834 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fall River, MA in?
Fall River is in Bristol County, Massachusetts. About 95,298 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Taunton, MA in?
Taunton is in Bristol County, Massachusetts. About 62,522 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bristol County?
67 operating plants with 596 MW of capacity. The largest is Dighton Power Plant (200 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Bristol County?
189 MW across 6 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 10 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Somerset Energy Storage, LLC.
Are there data centers in Bristol County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bristol County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Providence County.
Is Bristol County adding jobs?
Employers counted 225,223 jobs in 2025 against 228,578 in 2019 (-1.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Bristol County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bristol County. Massachusetts has 17 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.