Warren County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Phillipsburg, Hackettstown and Lopatcong Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Warren County. Warren County is home to Phillipsburg, Hackettstown, Lopatcong Township and Mansfield Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Ordinance prohibiting data centers”. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 16 MW has retired here since 2019, including Covanta Warren Energy (other technologies, 14 MW, 2019). 56 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Warren County
Warren County is home to Phillipsburg, Hackettstown, Lopatcong Township and Mansfield Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allamuchy, Anderson, Asbury, Beattystown, Blairstown, Brainards, Brass Castle, Bridgeville, Broadway, Brookfield, Buttzville, Columbia, Delaware, Delaware Park, Finesville, Great Meadows, Greenwich, Hainesburg, Harmony, Hope, Hutchinson, Johnsonburg, Lopatcong Overlook, Marksboro, Mount Hermon, Mountain Lake, New Village, Oxford, Panther Valley, Port Colden, Port Murray, Silver Lake, Stewartsville, Upper Pohatcong, Upper Stewartsville, Vienna.
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 Warren County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 109,431 | 112,953 | ▲ 3.2% | 19th of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32,768 | 33,915 | ▲ 3.5% | 7th of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,966 | $65,662 | ▲ 26.4% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 126 | 115 | ▼ 8.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 56 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 16 MW | — |
Its power plants have 576 MW of capacity, 79% of it hydro, the 10th largest fleet in New Jersey. Employers here counted 33,915 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 21 New Jersey counties). Jersey Central Power & Lt Co is the largest utility serving Warren County. Its residential customers paid an average 15.65¢/kWh in 2024, below the 20.42¢ median for New Jersey utilities. 112,953 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Warren County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +40 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Warren County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 453 MW | 79% |
| Solar | 91 MW | 16% |
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 3% |
| Natural gas | 12 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yards Creek Energy | Yards Creek Energy | Hydro | 453 MW | 1965 |
| Stryker 22, L.L.C. | Stryker 22, L.L.C. | Battery storage | 20 MW | 2018 |
| Foul Rift Solar Farm | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 15 MW | 2025 |
| Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC | Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC | Natural gas | 12 MW | 1984 |
| Changewater 1 | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 11 MW | 2026 |
| DSM Nutritional Products Solar | DG Northeast Solar II, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covanta Warren Energy | Other technologies | 14 MW | 2019 |
| PSEG Hackettstown | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Warren County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 33,915 | $65,662 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 115 | $195,477 | 1.25 |
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 Warren County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinance prohibiting data centers | In force | 2026-05 | |
| Municipal ban on data centers | In force | 2026-04 |
Warren County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Warren County, Northampton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 112,953 | ▲ 3.5% | 576 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Bucks County PA | 647,828 | ▲ 3.0% | 2,027 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Hunterdon County | 131,781 | ▼ 1.3% | 614 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Monroe County PA | 167,179 | ▼ 0.4% | 23 MW | — | — | — |
| Morris County | 524,251 | ▲ 2.5% | 71 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Northampton County PA | 324,411 | ▲ 3.5% | 3,852 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Sussex County | 148,063 | ▲ 2.0% | 74 MW | 6 MW | 3 | 3 |
More of New Jersey
Warren County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Warren County, New Jersey?
1 utility has service territory in Warren County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Jersey Central Power & Lt Co. The largest, Jersey Central Power & Lt Co, charged residential customers 15.65¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Phillipsburg, NJ in?
Phillipsburg is in Warren County, New Jersey. About 15,456 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hackettstown, NJ in?
Hackettstown is in Warren County, New Jersey. About 10,185 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Warren County?
17 operating plants with 576 MW of capacity. The largest is Yards Creek Energy (453 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Warren County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Warren County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sussex County.
Is Warren County adding jobs?
Employers counted 33,915 jobs in 2025 against 32,768 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Warren County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Warren County, 2 in force.