Dutchess County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Poughkeepsie and East Fishkill, and the communities of Myers Corner
The data center boom is not abstract in Dutchess County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Dutchess County. Dutchess County is home to Poughkeepsie, East Fishkill, Wappinger and Hyde Park, plus the unincorporated community of Myers Corner. 1,362 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Construction employs 5,971, up 7.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,380 MW of capacity, 95% of it natural gas, the 10th largest fleet in New York.
Cities and towns in Dutchess County
Dutchess County is home to Poughkeepsie, East Fishkill, Wappinger and Hyde Park, plus the unincorporated community of Myers Corner.
And 1 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Myers Corner, Amenia, Arlington, Bard College, Barrytown, Brinckerhoff, Chelsea Cove, Crown Heights, Dover Plains, Fairview, Freedom Plains, Haviland, Hillside Lake, Hopewell Junction, Hyde Park, MacDonnell Heights, Marist College, Merritt Park, New Hackensack, New Hamburg, Pine Plains, Pleasant Valley, Red Oaks Mill, Rhinecliff, Salt Point, Shorehaven, Spackenkill, Staatsburg, Titusville, Upper Red Hook, Vassar College, Wassaic, Wingdale.
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 Dutchess County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 296,309 | 300,708 | ▲ 1.5% | 15th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 113,674 | 116,699 | ▲ 2.7% | 16th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,617 | $73,404 | ▲ 32.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,549 | 5,971 | ▲ 7.6% | 21st of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,362 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
0 MW has retired here since 2019, including Vassar Brothers Medical Center (petroleum, 0 MW, 2020). Electrical contractors employ 567, at an average $70,072 a year. Employers here counted 116,699 jobs in 2025, up 2.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. New York State Elec & Gas Corp is the largest utility serving Dutchess County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 18.32¢/kWh in 2024, above the 17.22¢ median for New York utilities. 300,708 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Dutchess County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,361 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dutchess County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State Elec & Gas Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 792,300 | 18.32¢ | 23% |
| Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 270,859 | 25.14¢ | 35% |
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 22
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,312 MW | 95% |
| Solar | 45 MW | 3% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 9 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 0% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cricket Valley Energy | Cricket Valley Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 1,312 MW | 2020 |
| Vassar Brothers Medical Center | Vassar Brothers Medical Center | Petroleum | 10 MW | 1998 |
| Dutchess Cnty Resource Recovery Facility | Dutchess County RRA - (NY) | Other technologies | 9 MW | 1987 |
| Phillips Route 82 Solar LLC | Phillips Route 82 Solar LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2022 |
| Stanford | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Salt Point Solar (Hybrid) | Generate Capital | Solar | 4 MW | 2021 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vassar Brothers Medical Center | Petroleum | 0 MW | 2020 |
The Dutchess County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 116,699 | $73,404 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,971 | $91,090 | 0.97 |
| Electrical contractors | 567 | $70,072 | 0.67 |
| Power and communication line construction | 135 | $104,973 | 0.72 |
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 Dutchess County
2 data centers in Dutchess County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Dutchess County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Dutchess County, Fairfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutchess County | 300,708 | ▲ 2.7% | 1,380 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Berkshire County MA | 128,224 | ▼ 5.4% | 1,024 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 60,168 | ▼ 4.8% | 43 MW | 47 MW | — | — |
| Fairfield County CT | — | — | 1,446 MW | — | 16 | — |
| Litchfield County CT | — | — | 171 MW | — | — | — |
| Orange County | 417,669 | ▲ 4.5% | 2,754 MW | 178 MW | — | — |
| Putnam County | 99,028 | ▲ 2.0% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Ulster County | 183,330 | ● 0.0% | 89 MW | — | — | — |
More of New York
Dutchess County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dutchess County, New York?
2 utilities have service territory in Dutchess County in the EIA-861 2024 report: New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp. The largest, New York State Elec & Gas Corp, charged residential customers 18.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Poughkeepsie, NY in?
Poughkeepsie is in Dutchess County, New York. About 32,499 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is East Fishkill, NY in?
East Fishkill is in Dutchess County, New York. About 29,801 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Wappinger, NY in?
Wappinger is in Dutchess County, New York. About 28,215 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dutchess County?
22 operating plants with 1,380 MW of capacity. The largest is Cricket Valley Energy (1,312 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Dutchess County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Dutchess County.
Is Dutchess County adding jobs?
Employers counted 116,699 jobs in 2025 against 113,674 in 2019 (+2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,549 to 5,971.
Does Dutchess County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dutchess County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.