Erie County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Buffalo, Amherst and Cheektowaga
Erie County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 12 data centers in Erie County, 9% of New York's total. Erie County is home to Buffalo, Amherst, Cheektowaga and West Seneca. 24 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Key Capture Energy (battery storage). 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 18,336, up 5.7% since 2019. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including General Mills Inc (natural gas, 4 MW, 2020).
Cities and towns in Erie County
Erie County is home to Buffalo, Amherst, Cheektowaga and West Seneca.
And 14 smaller places.
- Gowanda also extends into Cattaraugus County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Angola on the Lake, Billington Heights, Cheektowaga, Clarence, Clarence Center, Eden, Eggertsville, Elma Center, Grandyle Village, Harris Hill, Highland-on-the-Lake, Holland, Lake Erie Beach, North Boston, Tonawanda Town, Town Line, University at Buffalo, Wanakah, West Seneca.
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 Erie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 952,491 | 946,741 | ▼ 0.6% | 8th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 471,422 | 464,902 | ▼ 1.4% | 31st of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,017 | $69,996 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,350 | 18,336 | ▲ 5.7% | 26th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,470 | 2,550 | ▲ 3.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 451 | 773 | ▲ 71.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 105 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 24 MW | 11% of today's fleet | 27th of 43 by size |
105 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 2,550, up 3.2% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $104,856 a year. Its power plants have 212 MW of capacity, 42% of it solar. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Erie County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 464,902 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 946,741 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020, 8th of 62 New York counties by population.
Who powers Erie County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +101 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Erie 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 Akron - (NY) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Springville - (NY) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 31
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 89 MW | 42% |
| Natural gas | 60 MW | 28% |
| Wind | 36 MW | 17% |
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 9% |
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indeck Yerkes Energy Center | Indeck-Yerkes Ltd Partnership | Natural gas | 60 MW | 1989 |
| NY6 Battery | Key Capture Energy | Battery storage | 20 MW | 2023 |
| Steel Winds Wind Farm | Evergreen Wind, LLC | Wind | 20 MW | 2007 |
| Steel Winds II | Evergreen Wind, LLC | Wind | 15 MW | 2012 |
| Chaffee Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2007 |
| Millersport GM 1 | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCE NY 10, LLC | Batteries | 20 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Key Capture Energy |
| NYSolar06 | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | NYSolar06, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Mills Inc | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2020 |
The Erie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 464,902 | $69,996 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 18,336 | $88,874 | 0.74 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,550 | $104,856 | 0.76 |
| Electric utilities | 778 | $157,270 | 0.62 |
| Data processing and hosting | 773 | $90,616 | 0.54 |
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 Erie County
12 data centers in Erie County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Erie County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Erie County, Niagara 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie County | 946,741 | ▼ 1.4% | 212 MW | 24 MW | 12 | — |
| Cattaraugus County | 75,390 | ▼ 3.0% | 140 MW | — | — | — |
| Chautauqua County | 124,126 | ▼ 5.4% | 496 MW | 528 MW | — | — |
| Genesee County | 58,416 | ▼ 0.9% | 148 MW | 861 MW | — | — |
| Niagara County | 208,912 | ▼ 5.6% | 3,087 MW | 333 MW | 6 | — |
| Wyoming County | 39,741 | ▼ 9.6% | 534 MW | — | — | — |
More of New York
Erie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Erie County, New York?
5 utilities have service territory in Erie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Village of Arcade - (NY), Village of Akron - (NY). The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Buffalo, NY in?
Buffalo is in Erie County, New York. About 274,613 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Amherst, NY in?
Amherst is in Erie County, New York. About 130,442 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cheektowaga, NY in?
Cheektowaga is in Erie County, New York. About 88,160 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Erie County?
31 operating plants with 212 MW of capacity. The largest is Indeck Yerkes Energy Center (60 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Erie County?
24 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Key Capture Energy.
Are there data centers in Erie County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 12 data centers in Erie County.
Is Erie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 464,902 jobs in 2025 against 471,422 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 17,350 to 18,336.
Does Erie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Erie County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.