Worcester County, Massachusetts: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Worcester and Leominster, and the communities of Spencer
The data center boom is not abstract in Worcester County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Worcester County, 15% of Massachusetts's total. Worcester County is home to Worcester, Leominster, Fitchburg and Shrewsbury, plus the unincorporated community of Spencer. 205 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by FE Taft LLC (battery storage), the 2nd largest pipeline among Massachusetts's counties. 205 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 1,956 MW of capacity, 65% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in Massachusetts. Construction employs 16,685, up 9.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Worcester County
Worcester County is home to Worcester, Leominster, Fitchburg and Shrewsbury, plus the unincorporated community of Spencer.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Spencer, Athol, Baldwinville, Barre, Brookfield, Clinton, Cordaville, Devens, East Brookfield, East Douglas, Fiskdale, Hopedale, Lunenburg, Milford, North Brookfield, Northborough, Oxford, Petersham, Rutland, South Ashburnham, South Lancaster, Sturbridge, Upton, Warren, Webster, West Brookfield, West Warren, Westborough, Whitinsville, Winchendon.
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 Worcester County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 857,028 | 888,502 | ▲ 3.7% | 2nd of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 353,153 | 356,384 | ▲ 0.9% | 3rd of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,008 | $74,037 | ▲ 29.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,302 | 16,685 | ▲ 9.0% | 2nd of 8 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,016 | 2,117 | ▲ 5.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,519 | 2,216 | ▼ 12.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 349 | 363 | ▲ 4.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 318 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 205 MW | 10% of today's fleet | 2nd of 8 by size |
318 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 13 MW has retired here since 2019, including Newark America Mill (natural gas, 6 MW, 2024). Electrical contractors employ 2,117, up 5.0% since 2019 against up 3.4% statewide, at an average $94,340 a year. Massachusetts Electric Co is the largest utility serving Worcester County, one of 11 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 33.60¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.18¢ median for Massachusetts utilities. Employers here counted 356,384 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 14 Massachusetts counties). 888,502 people live here, up 3.7% since 2020, 2nd of 14 Massachusetts counties by population.
Who powers Worcester County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +306 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Worcester County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,210,113 | 33.60¢ | 24% |
| Fitchburg Gas & Elec Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 26,290 | 40.08¢ | 16% |
| Town of Shrewsbury - (MA) | Municipal | Bundled | 15,713 | 14.27¢ | 16% |
| Town of Ashburnham - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Boylston - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Holden - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Paxton - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Princeton - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 190
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,281 MW | 65% |
| Solar | 463 MW | 24% |
| Battery storage | 110 MW | 6% |
| Other technologies | 72 MW | 4% |
| Petroleum | 14 MW | 1% |
| Wind | 10 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 7 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANP Blackstone Energy Project | ANP Blackstone Energy Company LLC | Natural gas | 578 MW | 2001 |
| Millennium Power | Millennium Power Company, LLC | Natural gas | 428 MW | 2001 |
| Milford Power LP | Milford Power LLC | Natural gas | 249 MW | 1993 |
| Wheelabrator Millbury Facility | Wheelabrator Environmental Systems | Other technologies | 48 MW | 1987 |
| NE Renewable Fitchburg, LLC | NE Renewable Fitchburg, LLC | Other technologies | 18 MW | 1992 |
| Univ of Massachusetts Medical Center | University of Massachusetts Medical | Natural gas | 18 MW | 1974 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taft BESS | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | FE Taft LLC |
| Sturbridge Road Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Madison Energy Investments LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark America Mill | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2024 |
| Norton Powerhouse | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2022 |
| Anderson Power Products Division | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Worcester County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 356,384 | $74,037 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,685 | $96,826 | 0.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,117 | $94,340 | 0.82 |
| Electric utilities | 2,216 | $155,407 | 2.30 |
| Data processing and hosting | 363 | $255,031 | 0.33 |
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 Worcester County
8 data centers in Worcester County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Worcester County and its neighbors
Of the 10 counties that border Worcester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 888,502 | ▲ 0.9% | 1,956 MW | 205 MW | 8 | — |
| Cheshire County NH | 78,269 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Franklin County | 70,698 | ▼ 6.8% | 1,334 MW | — | — | — |
| Hampden County | 464,338 | ▼ 5.3% | 1,420 MW | 10 MW | 7 | — |
| Hampshire County | 164,065 | ▼ 2.3% | 160 MW | — | — | — |
| Hillsborough County NH | 433,415 | ▼ 3.2% | 63 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Middlesex County | 1,669,979 | ▼ 3.9% | 476 MW | 5 MW | 22 | 1 |
| Norfolk County | 739,749 | ▼ 1.6% | 2,741 MW | 11 MW | 2 | — |
| Providence County RI | 678,179 | ▲ 0.5% | 1,907 MW | 4 MW | 7 | — |
| Tolland County CT | — | — | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| Windham County CT | — | — | 973 MW | 139 MW | — | — |
More of Massachusetts
Worcester County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
11 utilities have service territory in Worcester County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Massachusetts Electric Co, Fitchburg Gas & Elec Light Co, Town of Shrewsbury - (MA), Town of Ashburnham - (MA). The largest, Massachusetts Electric Co, charged residential customers 33.60¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Worcester, MA in?
Worcester is in Worcester County, Massachusetts. About 213,862 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Leominster, MA in?
Leominster is in Worcester County, Massachusetts. About 44,194 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fitchburg, MA in?
Fitchburg is in Worcester County, Massachusetts. About 42,136 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Worcester County?
190 operating plants with 1,956 MW of capacity. The largest is ANP Blackstone Energy Project (578 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Worcester County?
205 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 205 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is FE Taft LLC.
Are there data centers in Worcester County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Worcester County.
Is Worcester County adding jobs?
Employers counted 356,384 jobs in 2025 against 353,153 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 15,302 to 16,685.
Does Worcester County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Worcester County. Massachusetts has 17 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.