Coos County, New Hampshire: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Berlin, Lancaster and Gorham
No data center or power plant project is on record in Coos County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Coos County is home to Berlin, Lancaster, Gorham and Whitefield. Next door, Grafton County has 2 data centers. 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 301 MW of capacity, 38% of it wind, the 4th largest fleet in New Hampshire. Employers here counted 11,730 jobs in 2025, down 2.7% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 10 New Hampshire counties).
Cities and towns in Coos County
Coos County is home to Berlin, Lancaster, Gorham and Whitefield.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Colebrook, Gorham, Groveton, Lancaster, West Stewartstown, Whitefield.
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 Coos County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 31,235 | 31,343 | ▲ 0.3% | 10th of 10 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,059 | 11,730 | ▼ 2.7% | 7th of 10 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,924 | $55,154 | ▲ 38.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 2.7% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Public Service Co of NH is the largest utility serving Coos County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 22.65¢/kWh in 2024, below the 23.10¢ median for New Hampshire utilities. Unemployment was 2.7% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 31,343 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020, 10th of 10 New Hampshire counties by population.
Who powers Coos County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +14 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Coos County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of NH | Investor Owned | Bundled | 459,907 | 22.65¢ | 20% |
| New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 74,144 | 23.83¢ | 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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 113 MW | 38% |
| Other technologies | 95 MW | 32% |
| Hydro | 61 MW | 20% |
| Petroleum | 18 MW | 6% |
| Battery storage | 14 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Reliable Power | NexteraEnergy | Wind | 99 MW | 2012 |
| Burgess BioPower | Berlin Station, LLC | Other technologies | 75 MW | 2013 |
| Berlin Gorham | Great Lakes Hydro America LLC | Hydro | 44 MW | 1914 |
| NE Renewable Whitefield, LLC | NE Renewable Whitefield, LLC | Other technologies | 20 MW | 1988 |
| Lost Nation | Granite Shore Power | Petroleum | 18 MW | 1969 |
| Smith (NH) | Central Rivers Power NH, LLC | Hydro | 15 MW | 1948 |
The Coos County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,730 | $55,154 | 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 Coos County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Coos County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Coos County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Coos County, Grafton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coos County | 31,343 | ▼ 2.7% | 301 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 52,784 | ▼ 0.7% | 44 MW | — | — | — |
| Essex County VT | 6,051 | ▼ 3.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Grafton County | 93,225 | ▲ 0.4% | 475 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Oxford County ME | 60,346 | ▲ 0.6% | 595 MW | — | — | — |
More of New Hampshire
Coos County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Coos County, New Hampshire?
2 utilities have service territory in Coos County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NH, New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of NH, charged residential customers 22.65¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Coos County?
10 operating plants with 301 MW of capacity. The largest is Granite Reliable Power (99 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Coos County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Coos County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Grafton County.
Is Coos County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,730 jobs in 2025 against 12,059 in 2019 (-2.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Coos County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Coos County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.