Salem County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pennsville Township and Pittsgrove Township, and the communities of Carneys Point and Pennsville
Salem County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Salem County is home to Pennsville Township, Pittsgrove Township, Carneys Point Township and Salem, plus the unincorporated communities of Carneys Point and Pennsville. Its power plants have 3,697 MW of capacity, 98% of it nuclear, the largest fleet in New Jersey. 3 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Dimension Energy LLC (solar), the 4th largest pipeline among New Jersey's counties. 3 MW of it is already under construction or built. 427 MW has retired here since 2019, including Chambers Cogeneration LP (coal, 285 MW, 2022). Next door, New Castle County, Delaware, has 7 data centers.
Cities and towns in Salem County
Salem County is home to Pennsville Township, Pittsgrove Township, Carneys Point Township and Salem, plus the unincorporated communities of Carneys Point and Pennsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Carneys Point, Pennsville, Alloway, Auburn, Hancocks Bridge, Olivet, Pedricktown, Quinton.
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 Salem County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 64,781 | 66,280 | ▲ 2.3% | 21st of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,580 | 22,148 | ▲ 7.6% | 3rd of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,617 | $69,567 | ▲ 18.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 6.1% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 427 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 4th of 7 by size |
Unemployment was 6.1% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 22,148 jobs in 2025, up 7.6% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 21 New Jersey counties). 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Public Service Elec & Gas Co is the largest utility serving Salem County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.42¢/kWh in 2024. 66,280 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Salem County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −423 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Salem 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% |
| Atlantic City Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 506,488 | 23.41¢ | 28% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 3,631 MW | 98% |
| Petroleum | 42 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 24 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSEG Salem Generating Station | PSEG Nuclear LLC | Nuclear | 2,382 MW | 1971 |
| PSEG Hope Creek Generating Station | PSEG Nuclear LLC | Nuclear | 1,291 MW | 1986 |
| Pilesgrove | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 18 MW | 2011 |
| Pennsville Landfill (CSG) | Standard Solar | Solar | 4 MW | 2026 |
| Pittsgrove Solar | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carneys Point Solar 1 LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Dimension Energy LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chambers Cogeneration LP | Coal | 285 MW | 2022 |
| Pedricktown Cogeneration Company LP | Natural gas | 140 MW | 2022 |
| SC Landfill Energy LLC | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Salem County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 22,148 | $69,567 | 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 Salem County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Salem County. New Jersey has 108 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Cumberland County, Gloucester County, New Castle County.
Salem County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Salem County, New Castle 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem County | 66,280 | ▲ 7.6% | 3,697 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 157,148 | ▲ 1.9% | 555 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Gloucester County | 312,638 | ▲ 12.3% | 1,166 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| New Castle County DE | 588,026 | ▲ 4.2% | 2,313 MW | 133 MW | 7 | 1 |
More of New Jersey
Salem County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Salem County, New Jersey?
2 utilities have service territory in Salem County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Elec & Gas Co, Atlantic City Electric Co. The largest, Public Service Elec & Gas Co, charged residential customers 20.42¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pennsville Township, NJ in?
Pennsville Township is in Salem County, New Jersey. About 12,923 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Salem County?
5 operating plants with 3,697 MW of capacity. The largest is PSEG Salem Generating Station (2,382 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Salem County?
3 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Dimension Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in Salem County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Salem County. The nearest activity on record is next door in New Castle County.
Is Salem County adding jobs?
Employers counted 22,148 jobs in 2025 against 20,580 in 2019 (+7.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Salem County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Salem County. New Jersey has 108 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.