Monroe County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rochester, Greece and Irondequoit
Monroe County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Monroe County, 4% of New York's total. Monroe County is home to Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit and Henrietta. 4 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by SL Brockport, LLC (solar). 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 16,566, up 10.7% since 2019. 18 MW has retired here since 2019, including RED-Rochester, LLC (natural gas, 12 MW, 2020).
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Rochester, Greece, Irondequoit and Henrietta.
And 4 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brighton, Clarkson, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Irondequoit, Nazareth College, North Gates, Rochester Institute of Technology, St. John Fisher College.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 758,384 | 750,506 | ▼ 1.0% | 9th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 390,287 | 386,911 | ▼ 0.9% | 28th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,079 | $69,031 | ▲ 30.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,966 | 16,566 | ▲ 10.7% | 15th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,080 | 2,213 | ▲ 6.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 586 | 414 | ▼ 29.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 141 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 18 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 4 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 41st of 43 by size |
141 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Owners plan to retire 10 MW more by 2035, led by High Acres Gas Recovery in 2026. Electrical contractors employ 2,213, up 6.4% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $84,805 a year. Its power plants have 371 MW of capacity, 52% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 386,911 jobs in 2025, down 0.9% from 2019. 750,506 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020, 9th of 62 New York counties by population.
Who powers Monroe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +123 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| Rochester Gas & Electric Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 351,481 | 18.76¢ | 22% |
| Village of Fairport - (NY) | Municipal | Bundled | 16,462 | 6.69¢ | 22% |
| Village of Churchville - (NY) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Spencerport - (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 36
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 193 MW | 52% |
| Solar | 112 MW | 30% |
| Hydro | 56 MW | 15% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RED-Rochester, LLC | RED-Rochester, LLC | Natural gas | 163 MW | 1957 |
| Rochester 5 | Rochester Gas & Electric Corp | Hydro | 44 MW | 1918 |
| University of Rochester | University of Rochester | Natural gas | 25 MW | 2005 |
| High Acres Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 10 MW | 1991 |
| Rochester 2 | Rochester Gas & Electric Corp | Hydro | 8 MW | 1960 |
| Monroe County Sites C, D, & E | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 6 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SL Brockport | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | SL Brockport, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| RED-Rochester, LLC | Natural gas | 12 MW | 2020 |
| Iola Powerhouse & Cogeneration Facility | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2021 |
| Monroe Livingston Gas Recovery | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2019 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Acres Gas Recovery | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2026 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 386,911 | $69,031 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,566 | $84,000 | 0.81 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,213 | $84,805 | 0.79 |
| Electric utilities | 1,083 | $211,574 | 1.03 |
| Data processing and hosting | 414 | $115,491 | 0.34 |
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 Monroe County
5 data centers in Monroe County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Monroe County, Genesee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 750,506 | ▼ 0.9% | 371 MW | 4 MW | 5 | — |
| Genesee County | 58,416 | ▼ 0.9% | 148 MW | 861 MW | — | — |
| Livingston County | 61,438 | ▼ 3.4% | 218 MW | 224 MW | — | — |
| Ontario County | 113,130 | ▲ 1.7% | 81 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Orleans County | 39,825 | ▼ 5.5% | 39 MW | 136 MW | — | — |
| Wayne County | 91,250 | ▼ 0.6% | 635 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of New York
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, New York?
5 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., Rochester Gas & Electric Corp, Village of Fairport - (NY), Village of Churchville - (NY). The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Rochester, NY in?
Rochester is in Monroe County, New York. About 206,108 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Greece, NY in?
Greece is in Monroe County, New York. About 94,484 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Irondequoit, NY in?
Irondequoit is in Monroe County, New York. About 50,180 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monroe County?
36 operating plants with 371 MW of capacity. The largest is RED-Rochester, LLC (163 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Monroe County?
4 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SL Brockport, LLC.
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Monroe County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 386,911 jobs in 2025 against 390,287 in 2019 (-0.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 14,966 to 16,566.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.