Norfolk County, Massachusetts: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Quincy and Brookline, and the communities of Needham
Norfolk County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Norfolk County, 4% of Massachusetts's total. Norfolk County is home to Quincy, Brookline, Weymouth Town and Braintree Town, plus the unincorporated community of Needham. 11 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Mountain Street Solar Project 2019, LLC (battery storage), the 5th largest pipeline among Massachusetts's counties. 11 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,741 MW of capacity, 81% of it natural gas, the largest fleet in Massachusetts. 552 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas.
Cities and towns in Norfolk County
Norfolk County is home to Quincy, Brookline, Weymouth Town and Braintree Town, plus the unincorporated community of Needham.
And 4 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Needham, Bellingham, Brookline, Dedham, Dover, Foxborough, Holbrook, Medfield, Millis-Clicquot, Milton, Norwood, Sharon, Walpole, Wellesley.
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 Norfolk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 723,647 | 739,749 | ▲ 2.2% | 5th of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 354,129 | 348,528 | ▼ 1.6% | 9th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $67,757 | $87,023 | ▲ 28.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,239 | 21,303 | ▲ 0.3% | 6th of 8 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,647 | 3,794 | ▲ 4.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 497 | 470 | ▼ 5.4% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 251 | 303 | ▲ 20.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 650 | 516 | ▼ 20.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 552 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 101 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 11 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 5th of 8 by size |
Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 101 MW has retired here since 2019, including Potter Station 2 (natural gas, 101 MW, 2024). Construction employs 21,303, up 0.3% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 3,794, up 4.0% since 2019 against up 3.4% statewide, at an average $115,678 a year. Employers here counted 348,528 jobs in 2025, down 1.6% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 14 Massachusetts counties). NSTAR Electric Company is the largest utility serving Norfolk County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 29.91¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.18¢ median for Massachusetts utilities. 739,749 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020, 5th of 14 Massachusetts counties by population.
Who powers Norfolk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +451 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Norfolk 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% |
| Town of Braintree - (MA) | Municipal | Bundled | 14,039 | 15.79¢ | 57% |
| City of Norwood - (MA) | Municipal | Bundled | 13,601 | 17.67¢ | 33% |
| Town of Wellesley - (MA) | Municipal | Bundled | 9,437 | 16.20¢ | 37% |
| Massachusetts Bay Trans Authority | — | Bundled | — | — | — |
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 37
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,229 MW | 81% |
| Battery storage | 264 MW | 10% |
| Petroleum | 181 MW | 7% |
| Solar | 67 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fore River Generating Station | Calpine Fore River Energy Center, LLC | Natural gas | 872 MW | 2003 |
| ANP Bellingham Energy Project | Bellingham Power Generation LLC | Natural gas | 578 MW | 2002 |
| Bellingham Cogeneration Facility | Northeast Energy Associates LP | Natural gas | 386 MW | 1991 |
| Exelon West Medway II LLC | Constellation Power, Inc | Natural gas | 264 MW | 2019 |
| Medway Grid | Medway Grid LLC | Battery storage | 250 MW | 2026 |
| Exelon Medway LLC | Constellation Power, Inc | Petroleum | 135 MW | 1970 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Sharon Portfolio -Mt St Landfill | Batteries | 6 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Mountain Street Solar Project 2019, LLC |
| Town of Sharon Portfolio -Mt St Landfill | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Mountain Street Solar Project 2019, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Potter Station 2 | Natural gas | 101 MW | 2024 |
The Norfolk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 348,528 | $87,023 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 21,303 | $112,694 | 1.15 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,794 | $115,678 | 1.51 |
| Power and communication line construction | 470 | $107,490 | 0.83 |
| Electric utilities | 303 | $189,773 | 0.32 |
| Data processing and hosting | 516 | $139,894 | 0.48 |
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 Norfolk County
2 data centers in Norfolk County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Norfolk County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Norfolk County, Middlesex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk County | 739,749 | ▼ 1.6% | 2,741 MW | 11 MW | 2 | — |
| Bristol County | 593,640 | ▼ 1.5% | 596 MW | 189 MW | — | — |
| Middlesex County | 1,669,979 | ▼ 3.9% | 476 MW | 5 MW | 22 | 1 |
| Plymouth County | 546,829 | ▲ 0.2% | 473 MW | 52 MW | 3 | — |
| Providence County RI | 678,179 | ▲ 0.5% | 1,907 MW | 4 MW | 7 | — |
| Suffolk County | 791,891 | ▲ 1.3% | 269 MW | 250 MW | 6 | — |
| Worcester County | 888,502 | ▲ 0.9% | 1,956 MW | 205 MW | 8 | — |
More of Massachusetts
Norfolk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
6 utilities have service territory in Norfolk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NSTAR Electric Company, Massachusetts Electric Co, Town of Braintree - (MA), City of Norwood - (MA). The largest, NSTAR Electric Company, charged residential customers 29.91¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Quincy, MA in?
Quincy is in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. About 103,173 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Brookline, MA in?
Brookline is in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. About 63,414 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Weymouth Town, MA in?
Weymouth Town is in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. About 59,759 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Norfolk County?
37 operating plants with 2,741 MW of capacity. The largest is Fore River Generating Station (872 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Norfolk County?
11 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 11 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Mountain Street Solar Project 2019, LLC.
Are there data centers in Norfolk County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Norfolk County.
Is Norfolk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 348,528 jobs in 2025 against 354,129 in 2019 (-1.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 21,239 to 21,303.
Does Norfolk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Norfolk County. Massachusetts has 17 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.