Somerset County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Franklin Township and Bridgewater Township, and the communities of Franklin Center and Somerset
The data center boom is not abstract in Somerset County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 21 data centers in Somerset County, 17% of New Jersey's total. Somerset County is home to Franklin Township, Bridgewater Township, Hillsborough Township and Bernards Township, plus the unincorporated communities of Franklin Center, Somerset and Martinsville. Electrical contractors employ 1,236, up 55.5% since 2019 against up 8.8% statewide, at an average $87,920 a year. 3 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Standard Solar (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among New Jersey's counties. 3 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 7,976, up 15.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Somerset County
Somerset County is home to Franklin Township, Bridgewater Township, Hillsborough Township and Bernards Township, plus the unincorporated communities of Franklin Center, Somerset and Martinsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Franklin Center, Somerset, Martinsville, Basking Ridge, Bedminster, Belle Mead, Blackwells Mills, Blawenburg, Bradley Gardens, Bridgewater Center, Clyde, East Franklin, East Millstone, East Rocky Hill, Finderne, Flagtown, Franklin Park, Green Knoll, Griggstown, Harlingen, Hillsborough, Kingston, Lamington, Liberty Corner, Lyons, Middlebush, Neshanic, Neshanic Station, Pleasant Plains, Pluckemin, Pottersville, Six Mile Run, Skillman, Ten Mile Run, The Hills, Voorhees, Weston, Zarephath.
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 Somerset County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 344,516 | 356,486 | ▲ 3.5% | 13th of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 189,752 | 192,374 | ▲ 1.4% | 14th of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $89,772 | $112,982 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,879 | 7,976 | ▲ 15.9% | 3rd of 16 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 795 | 1,236 | ▲ 55.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 464 | 1,232 | ▲ 165.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 24 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3 MW | 5% of today's fleet | 3rd of 7 by size |
Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including Rariton OMP (natural gas, 3 MW, 2024). 24 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 67 MW of capacity, 84% of it solar. Public Service Elec & Gas Co is the largest utility serving Somerset County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.42¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 192,374 jobs in 2025, up 1.4% from 2019. 356,486 people live here, up 3.5% since 2020.
Who powers Somerset County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Somerset 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% |
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 24
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 56 MW | 84% |
| Natural gas | 11 MW | 16% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imclone Solar Electric Facility | CVI CleanCapital Solar 5 LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2014 |
| Pfizer Peapack Solar | CVI CleanCapital Solar 5 LLC | Solar | 6 MW | 2016 |
| CIP II/AR Bridgewater Holdings - NJCOE | COE Bridgewater LLC c/o Thor Equities, LLC | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2002 |
| Canal Road Solar | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 4 MW | 2023 |
| Franklin Solar 3 LLC | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |
| Franklin Solar 2 LLC Community Solar | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BPL NJ - Belmont | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Standard Solar |
| 50 Meister Ave | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Meister Avenue Branchburg Solar Project 2024, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rariton OMP | Natural gas | 3 MW | 2024 |
| RB Manufacturing LLC Belle Mead NJ | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Somerset County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 192,374 | $112,982 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,976 | $98,742 | 0.78 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,236 | $87,920 | 0.89 |
| Electric utilities | 4 | $100,528 | 0.01 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,232 | $233,623 | 2.06 |
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 Somerset County
21 data centers in Somerset County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Somerset County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Somerset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County | 356,486 | ▲ 1.4% | 67 MW | 3 MW | 21 | — |
| Hunterdon County | 131,781 | ▼ 1.3% | 614 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Mercer County | 399,289 | ▲ 0.6% | 121 MW | 1 MW | 3 | — |
| Middlesex County | 883,335 | ▲ 0.4% | 3,067 MW | 16 MW | 20 | — |
| Morris County | 524,251 | ▲ 2.5% | 71 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Union County | 601,863 | ▲ 1.4% | 2,853 MW | 3 MW | 1 | — |
More of New Jersey
Somerset County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Somerset County, New Jersey?
2 utilities have service territory in Somerset County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Elec & Gas Co, Jersey Central Power & Lt Co. The largest, Public Service Elec & Gas Co, charged residential customers 20.42¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Franklin Township, NJ in?
Franklin Township is in Somerset County, New Jersey. About 69,105 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bridgewater Township, NJ in?
Bridgewater Township is in Somerset County, New Jersey. About 46,455 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hillsborough Township, NJ in?
Hillsborough Township is in Somerset County, New Jersey. About 45,061 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Somerset County?
24 operating plants with 67 MW of capacity. The largest is Imclone Solar Electric Facility (8 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Somerset County?
3 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Standard Solar.
Are there data centers in Somerset County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 21 data centers in Somerset County.
Is Somerset County adding jobs?
Employers counted 192,374 jobs in 2025 against 189,752 in 2019 (+1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,879 to 7,976.
Does Somerset County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Somerset County. New Jersey has 108 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.