Lewis County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lowville, New Bremen and Denmark
Lewis County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Lewis County is home to Lowville, New Bremen, Denmark and Watson. Construction employs 302, up 28.0% since 2019. Next door, St. Lawrence County has 1 data center and 340 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 7,072 jobs in 2025, up 9.0% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 62 New York counties).
Cities and towns in Lewis County
Lewis County is home to Lowville, New Bremen, Denmark and Watson.
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 Lewis County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,571 | 26,479 | ▼ 0.3% | 59th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,488 | 7,072 | ▲ 9.0% | 3rd of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,532 | $55,806 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 236 | 302 | ▲ 28.0% | 4th of 55 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 44 | 40 | ▼ 9.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 3.7% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 195 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 21 MW | — |
195 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. 21 MW has retired here since 2019, including ReEnergy Lyonsdale Biomass (other technologies, 21 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 785 MW of capacity, 75% of it wind. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Lewis County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. 26,479 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Lewis County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +174 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lewis 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 Boonville - (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 29
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 587 MW | 75% |
| Natural gas | 108 MW | 14% |
| Hydro | 79 MW | 10% |
| Solar | 12 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Ridge Wind Farm | Flat Rock Windpower, LLC | Wind | 321 MW | 2005 |
| CH Resources Beaver Falls | Lakeside Beaver Falls LLC | Natural gas | 108 MW | 1995 |
| Number Three Wind Project | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 106 MW | 2023 |
| Copenhagen Wind Farm | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 80 MW | 2018 |
| Roaring Brook, LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 80 MW | 2021 |
| Soft Maple | Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP | Hydro | 16 MW | 1925 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| ReEnergy Lyonsdale Biomass | Other technologies | 21 MW | 2019 |
The Lewis County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,072 | $55,806 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 302 | $67,820 | 0.81 |
| Electric utilities | 40 | $143,645 | 2.09 |
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 Lewis County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lewis County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: St. Lawrence County.
Lewis County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lewis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | 26,479 | ▲ 9.0% | 785 MW | — | — | — |
| Herkimer County | 59,219 | ▼ 4.7% | 138 MW | 82 MW | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 111,540 | ▲ 0.1% | 256 MW | 119 MW | 1 | — |
| Oneida County | 226,392 | ▼ 4.4% | 242 MW | 25 MW | 1 | — |
| Oswego County | 118,569 | ▼ 2.9% | 5,959 MW | 14 MW | — | — |
| St. Lawrence County | 105,488 | ▼ 2.5% | 1,400 MW | 340 MW | 1 | 1 |
More of New York
Lewis County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lewis County, New York?
3 utilities have service territory in Lewis County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Village of Boonville - (NY). The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lewis County?
29 operating plants with 785 MW of capacity. The largest is Maple Ridge Wind Farm (321 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Lewis County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lewis County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Lawrence County.
Is Lewis County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,072 jobs in 2025 against 6,488 in 2019 (+9.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 236 to 302.
Does Lewis County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lewis County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.