Middlesex County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Edison Township and Woodbridge Township, and the communities of Monmouth Junction and Old Bridge
The data center boom is not abstract in Middlesex County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 20 data centers in Middlesex County, 17% of New Jersey's total. Middlesex County is home to Edison Township, Woodbridge Township, Old Bridge Township and Piscataway Township, plus the unincorporated communities of Monmouth Junction and Old Bridge. Its power plants have 3,067 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in New Jersey. 16 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Milltown Onsite Generation, LLC (battery storage), the largest pipeline among New Jersey's counties. 16 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Middlesex County
Middlesex County is home to Edison Township, Woodbridge Township, Old Bridge Township and Piscataway Township, plus the unincorporated communities of Monmouth Junction and Old Bridge.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Monmouth Junction, Old Bridge, Avenel, Brownville, Clearbrook, Colonia, Concordia, Cranbury, Dayton, Deans, Encore at Monroe, Fords, Forsgate, Heathcote, Hopelawn, Iselin, Keasbey, Kendall Park, Kingston, Laurence Harbor, Madison Park, Menlo Park Terrace, Monroe Manor, Plainsboro Center, Port Reading, Princeton Meadows, Regency at Monroe, Renaissance at Monroe, Rossmoor, Rutgers University-Busch Campus, Rutgers University-Livingston Campus, Sewaren, Stonebridge, The Ponds, Whittingham, Woodbridge.
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 Middlesex County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 861,248 | 883,335 | ▲ 2.6% | 3rd of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 429,757 | 431,665 | ▲ 0.4% | 18th of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $66,395 | $85,564 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,413 | 15,166 | ▼ 1.6% | 11th of 16 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,625 | 2,828 | ▲ 7.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 228 | 177 | ▼ 22.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 994 | 880 | ▼ 11.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 70 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 136 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 16 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 1st of 7 by size |
136 MW has retired here since 2019, including Parlin Power Plant (natural gas, 135 MW, 2023). 70 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Owners plan to retire 20 MW more by 2035, led by Heller Industrial Parks in 2027. Electrical contractors employ 2,828, up 7.7% since 2019 against up 8.8% statewide, at an average $109,116 a year. Construction employs 15,166, down 1.6% since 2019. Public Service Elec & Gas Co is the largest utility serving Middlesex County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.42¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 431,665 jobs in 2025, up 0.4% from 2019. 883,335 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020, 3rd of 21 New Jersey counties by population.
Who powers Middlesex County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −66 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Middlesex 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% |
| Jersey Central Power & Lt Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,038,258 | 15.65¢ | 24% |
| Borough of Milltown - (NJ) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Borough of South River - (NJ) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 68
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,861 MW | 93% |
| Solar | 147 MW | 5% |
| Other technologies | 32 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak Power LLC | Red Oak Operating Services LLC | Natural gas | 821 MW | 2002 |
| Woodbridge Energy Center | Woodbridge Energy Center | Natural gas | 773 MW | 2015 |
| Sewaren | Parkway Generation Sewaren Urban Renewal Entity LLC | Natural gas | 610 MW | 2018 |
| Sayreville Cogeneration Facility | Sayreville Power Generation LP | Natural gas | 430 MW | 1991 |
| Sayreville | Sayreville Power, LLC | Natural gas | 212 MW | 1972 |
| Middlesex County Utilities Authority | Middlesex County Utilities Authority - (NJ) | Other technologies | 22 MW | 1961 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milltown Onsite BESS | Batteries | 13 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Milltown Onsite Generation, LLC |
| Prologis - SLCNJ001 - Community Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parlin Power Plant | Natural gas | 135 MW | 2023 |
| Deutsche Bank- Piscataway Solar | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heller Industrial Parks | Solar | 4 MW | 2027 |
| Matrix Stults Road Solar Facility | Solar | 3 MW | 2031 |
| BlackRock-Matrix | Solar | 2 MW | 2032 |
| Matrix Buildings A&B (Perth Amboy) Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2031 |
| Summit Associates | Solar | 2 MW | 2031 |
The Middlesex County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 431,665 | $85,564 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 15,166 | $102,698 | 0.66 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,828 | $109,116 | 0.91 |
| Power and communication line construction | 177 | $91,742 | 0.25 |
| Electric utilities | 345 | $195,028 | 0.30 |
| Data processing and hosting | 880 | $163,083 | 0.66 |
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 Middlesex County
20 data centers in Middlesex County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Middlesex County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Middlesex County, Somerset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 883,335 | ▲ 0.4% | 3,067 MW | 16 MW | 20 | — |
| Mercer County | 399,289 | ▲ 0.6% | 121 MW | 1 MW | 3 | — |
| Monmouth County | 651,035 | ▲ 5.4% | 135 MW | — | 6 | 1 |
| Richmond County NY | 501,290 | ▲ 6.1% | 1,004 MW | 15 MW | 3 | — |
| Somerset County | 356,486 | ▲ 1.4% | 67 MW | 3 MW | 21 | — |
| Union County | 601,863 | ▲ 1.4% | 2,853 MW | 3 MW | 1 | — |
More of New Jersey
Middlesex County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Middlesex County, New Jersey?
4 utilities have service territory in Middlesex County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Elec & Gas Co, Jersey Central Power & Lt Co, Borough of Milltown - (NJ), Borough of South River - (NJ). The largest, Public Service Elec & Gas Co, charged residential customers 20.42¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Edison Township, NJ in?
Edison Township is in Middlesex County, New Jersey. About 109,077 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Woodbridge Township, NJ in?
Woodbridge Township is in Middlesex County, New Jersey. About 104,802 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Old Bridge Township, NJ in?
Old Bridge Township is in Middlesex County, New Jersey. About 70,228 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Middlesex County?
68 operating plants with 3,067 MW of capacity. The largest is Red Oak Power LLC (821 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Middlesex County?
16 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 16 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Milltown Onsite Generation, LLC.
Are there data centers in Middlesex County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 20 data centers in Middlesex County.
Is Middlesex County adding jobs?
Employers counted 431,665 jobs in 2025 against 429,757 in 2019 (+0.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 15,413 to 15,166.
Does Middlesex County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Middlesex County. New Jersey has 108 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.