Cayuga County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Auburn, Brutus and Owasco
Cayuga County is where a large share of New York's next power plants are planned. Cayuga County is home to Auburn, Brutus, Owasco and Sennett. 137 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Liberty Renewables Incorporated (wind). 38 MW of it is already under construction or built. 7 MW has retired here since 2019, including Auburn State Street (natural gas, 7 MW, 2019). Construction employs 1,096, down 3.4% since 2019. 43 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Cayuga County
Cayuga County is home to Auburn, Brutus, Owasco and Sennett.
And 7 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Melrose Park.
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 Cayuga County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 76,107 | 74,365 | ▼ 2.3% | 36th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25,529 | 24,534 | ▼ 3.9% | 46th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,579 | $65,392 | ▲ 43.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,135 | 1,096 | ▼ 3.4% | 38th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 43 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 137 MW | 268% of today's fleet | 13th of 43 by size |
Employers here counted 24,534 jobs in 2025, down 3.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 51 MW of capacity, 92% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 111, at an average $84,386 a year. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Cayuga County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 74,365 people live here, down 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Cayuga County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +36 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cayuga 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 47 MW | 92% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 4% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSF Aurelius Site 1 LLC | NSF Energy One LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| NSF Aurelius Site 2, LLC | NSF Energy One LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| NSF Aurelius Site 3 LLC | NSF Energy One LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Spring Street Road | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
| Union Springs 40 | Novis Renewables, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2022 |
| Union Springs 963 | Novis Renewables, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricola Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 99 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Liberty Renewables Incorporated |
| SunEast Dog Corners Solar Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 20 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Altus Power America Management, LLC |
| Scipio Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 18 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Altus Power America Management, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn State Street | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2019 |
The Cayuga County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 24,534 | $65,392 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,096 | $87,507 | 0.84 |
| Electrical contractors | 111 | $84,386 | 0.63 |
| Data processing and hosting | 18 | $126,364 | 0.24 |
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 Cayuga County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cayuga County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Tompkins County.
Cayuga County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cayuga County, Oswego 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cayuga County | 74,365 | ▼ 3.9% | 51 MW | 137 MW | — | — |
| Cortland County | 45,850 | ▼ 4.7% | 65 MW | 95 MW | — | — |
| Onondaga County | 466,584 | ▲ 0.7% | 398 MW | 25 MW | 7 | — |
| Oswego County | 118,569 | ▼ 2.9% | 5,959 MW | 14 MW | — | — |
| Seneca County | 32,883 | ▼ 16.9% | 40 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Tompkins County | 104,047 | ▼ 4.0% | 118 MW | 160 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Wayne County | 91,250 | ▼ 0.6% | 635 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of New York
Cayuga County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cayuga County, New York?
2 utilities have service territory in Cayuga County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp. The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Auburn, NY in?
Auburn is in Cayuga County, New York. About 25,947 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cayuga County?
13 operating plants with 51 MW of capacity. The largest is NSF Aurelius Site 1 LLC (5 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Cayuga County?
137 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 38 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Liberty Renewables Incorporated.
Are there data centers in Cayuga County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cayuga County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Onondaga County.
Is Cayuga County adding jobs?
Employers counted 24,534 jobs in 2025 against 25,529 in 2019 (-3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,135 to 1,096.
Does Cayuga County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cayuga County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.