Hudson County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jersey City, Bayonne and Union City
Hudson County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 29 data centers in Hudson County, 24% of New Jersey's total. Hudson County is home to Jersey City, Bayonne, Union City and North Bergen Township. Its power plants have 1,284 MW of capacity, 98% of it natural gas, the 5th largest fleet in New Jersey. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Jefferson Avenue (solar, 2 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in Hudson County
Hudson County is home to Jersey City, Bayonne, Union City and North Bergen Township.
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 Hudson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 721,800 | 735,033 | ▲ 1.8% | 4th of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 269,575 | 271,856 | ▲ 0.8% | 16th of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $78,406 | $98,938 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 813 | 670 | ▼ 17.6% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31 | 23 | ▼ 25.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 391 | 490 | ▲ 25.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,717 | 2,699 | ▲ 57.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
12 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Owners plan to retire 4 MW more by 2035, led by NJMC Landfill in 2031. Public Service Elec & Gas Co is the largest utility serving Hudson County. Its residential customers paid an average 20.42¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 271,856 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 735,033 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020, 4th of 21 New Jersey counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 670, down 17.6% since 2019 against up 8.8% statewide, at an average $107,356 a year.
Who powers Hudson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +10 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hudson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Elec & Gas Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,056,231 | 20.42¢ | 41% |
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 22
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,255 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 27 MW | 2% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayonne Energy Center | Bayonne Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 644 MW | 2012 |
| Kearny Generating Station | Parkway Generation Operating, LLC | Natural gas | 605 MW | 2001 |
| Ports Jersey City Solar | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |
| River Terminal Development Solar | RTC Properties Inc | Solar | 3 MW | 2006 |
| NJMC Landfill | Public Service Elec & Gas Co | Solar | 2 MW | 2011 |
| EQX012 Harz Fuel Cell | 2016 ESA Project Company, LLC | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Avenue | Solar | 2 MW | 2022 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJMC Landfill | Solar | 2 MW | 2031 |
| WEA Texas Bayonne | Solar | 2 MW | 2030 |
The Hudson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 271,856 | $98,938 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 670 | $107,356 | 0.34 |
| Power and communication line construction | 23 | $121,757 | 0.05 |
| Electric utilities | 490 | $169,888 | 0.67 |
| Data processing and hosting | 2,699 | $186,071 | 3.19 |
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 Hudson County
29 data centers in Hudson County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Hudson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hudson County, New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson County | 735,033 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,284 MW | — | 29 | — |
| Bergen County | 977,026 | ▼ 1.6% | 1,432 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Essex County | 896,379 | ▲ 2.2% | 865 MW | — | 11 | 1 |
| New York County NY | 1,664,862 | ▼ 1.6% | 905 MW | 6 MW | 45 | — |
| Richmond County NY | 501,290 | ▲ 6.1% | 1,004 MW | 15 MW | 3 | — |
| Union County | 601,863 | ▲ 1.4% | 2,853 MW | 3 MW | 1 | — |
More of New Jersey
Hudson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hudson County, New Jersey?
1 utility has service territory in Hudson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Elec & Gas Co. The largest, Public Service Elec & Gas Co, charged residential customers 20.42¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Jersey City, NJ in?
Jersey City is in Hudson County, New Jersey. About 302,013 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bayonne, NJ in?
Bayonne is in Hudson County, New Jersey. About 74,744 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Union City, NJ in?
Union City is in Hudson County, New Jersey. About 66,656 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hudson County?
22 operating plants with 1,284 MW of capacity. The largest is Bayonne Energy Center (644 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Hudson County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 29 data centers in Hudson County.
Is Hudson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 271,856 jobs in 2025 against 269,575 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hudson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hudson County. New Jersey has 108 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.