Cattaraugus County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Olean, Salamanca and Yorkshire
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cattaraugus County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cattaraugus County is home to Olean, Salamanca, Yorkshire and Randolph. Next door, Erie County has 12 data centers. 46 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 140 MW of capacity, 65% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 28,122 jobs in 2025, down 3.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Cattaraugus County
Cattaraugus County is home to Olean, Salamanca, Yorkshire and Randolph.
And 11 smaller places.
- Gowanda also extends into Erie County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): East Randolph, Lime Lake, Limestone, Machias, Perrysburg, Randolph, St. Bonaventure, West Valley, Weston Mills, Yorkshire.
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 Cattaraugus County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 76,977 | 75,390 | ▼ 2.1% | 35th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28,986 | 28,122 | ▼ 3.0% | 41st of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,688 | $55,757 | ▲ 37.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.4% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 46 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Cattaraugus County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. 75,390 people live here, down 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Cattaraugus County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +46 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cattaraugus County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,532,294 | 17.22¢ | 24% |
| New York State Elec & Gas Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 792,300 | 18.32¢ | 23% |
| Village of Arcade - (NY) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Little Valley - (NY) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Salamanca - (NY) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Steuben Rural Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 91 MW | 65% |
| Solar | 50 MW | 35% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indeck Olean Energy Center | Indeck-Olean Ltd Partnership | Natural gas | 91 MW | 1994 |
| West Valley Solar | West Valley Solar, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2022 |
| Dunkleman Solar | Generate Capital | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
| River Valley LLC (NY) (CSG) | Nautilus Solar Solutions | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Rowe (CSG) | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| West Valley East | BQ Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2022 |
The Cattaraugus County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,122 | $55,757 | 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 Cattaraugus County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cattaraugus County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide.
Cattaraugus County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cattaraugus County, Erie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cattaraugus County | 75,390 | ▼ 3.0% | 140 MW | — | — | — |
| Allegany County | 46,800 | ▲ 3.2% | 127 MW | 455 MW | — | — |
| Chautauqua County | 124,126 | ▼ 5.4% | 496 MW | 528 MW | — | — |
| Erie County | 946,741 | ▼ 1.4% | 212 MW | 24 MW | 12 | — |
| McKean County PA | 38,984 | ▼ 5.8% | — | 123 MW | — | — |
| Warren County PA | 37,038 | ▼ 10.1% | 491 MW | — | — | — |
| Wyoming County | 39,741 | ▼ 9.6% | 534 MW | — | — | — |
More of New York
Cattaraugus County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cattaraugus County, New York?
6 utilities have service territory in Cattaraugus County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Village of Arcade - (NY), Village of Little Valley - (NY). The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Olean, NY in?
Olean is in Cattaraugus County, New York. About 13,508 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cattaraugus County?
13 operating plants with 140 MW of capacity. The largest is Indeck Olean Energy Center (91 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cattaraugus County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cattaraugus County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Erie County.
Is Cattaraugus County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,122 jobs in 2025 against 28,986 in 2019 (-3.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cattaraugus County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cattaraugus County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.