Nassau County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oyster Bay and North Hempstead, and the communities of Uniondale and East Meadow
Nassau County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Nassau County, 4% of New York's total. Nassau County is home to Oyster Bay, North Hempstead, Hempstead and Freeport, plus the unincorporated communities of Uniondale, East Meadow and New Cassel. 3 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Village of Freeport - (NY) (other technologies). 3 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 1,474 MW of capacity, 83% of it natural gas, the 8th largest fleet in New York. 68 MW has retired here since 2019, including Nassau Energy Corp (natural gas, 55 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in Nassau County
Nassau County is home to Oyster Bay, North Hempstead, Hempstead and Freeport, plus the unincorporated communities of Uniondale, East Meadow and New Cassel.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Uniondale, East Meadow, New Cassel, Albertson, Baldwin, Barnum Island, Bay Park, Bellerose Terrace, Bellmore, Bethpage, Carle Place, East Atlantic Beach, East Massapequa, East Norwich, Elmont, Franklin Square, Garden City Park, Garden City South, Glen Head, Glenwood Landing, Great Neck Gardens, Greenvale, Harbor Hills, Harbor Isle, Herricks, Hewlett, Hicksville, Inwood, Jericho, Lakeview, Levittown, Lido Beach, Locust Valley, Malverne Park Oaks, Manhasset, Manhasset Hills, Massapequa, Merrick, North Bellmore, North Lynbrook and 27 more.
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 Nassau County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,390,952 | 1,398,939 | ▲ 0.6% | 6th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 632,169 | 636,274 | ▲ 0.6% | 23rd of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $63,486 | $79,801 | ▲ 25.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33,300 | 32,524 | ▼ 2.3% | 35th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,690 | 4,772 | ▲ 1.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 492 | 344 | ▼ 30.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,720 | 2,157 | ▼ 20.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,204 | 1,070 | ▼ 11.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 17 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 68 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 3 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 42nd of 43 by size |
Construction employs 32,524, down 2.3% since 2019. 17 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 4,772, up 1.7% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $94,509 a year. Long Island Power Authority is the largest utility serving Nassau County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 24.57¢/kWh in 2024, above the 17.22¢ median for New York utilities. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 636,274 jobs in 2025, up 0.6% from 2019. 1,398,939 people live here, up 0.6% since 2020, 6th of 62 New York counties by population.
Who powers Nassau County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −51 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Nassau County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Island Power Authority | State | Bundled | 1,029,955 | 24.57¢ | 47% |
| Village of Freeport - (NY) | Municipal | Bundled | 13,353 | 14.12¢ | 51% |
| Village of Rockville Centre - (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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,229 MW | 83% |
| Petroleum | 164 MW | 11% |
| Other technologies | 79 MW | 5% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E F Barrett | National Grid Generation LLC | Natural gas | 669 MW | 1956 |
| Bethpage Power Plant | Calpine Eastern Corp | Natural gas | 240 MW | 1989 |
| Glenwood Landing | National Grid Generation LLC | Natural gas | 122 MW | 1967 |
| Equus Freeport Power | Equus Power I, L.P. | Natural gas | 120 MW | 2004 |
| Glenwood | National Grid Generation LLC | Petroleum | 110 MW | 1972 |
| Covanta Hempstead | Covanta Hempstead Company | Other technologies | 79 MW | 1989 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant No 1 Freeport | Landfill Gas | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Village of Freeport - (NY) |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau Energy Corp | Natural gas | 55 MW | 2022 |
| Plant No 1 Freeport | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Hofstra University | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Nassau County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 636,274 | $79,801 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 32,524 | $94,388 | 0.96 |
| Electrical contractors | 4,772 | $94,509 | 1.04 |
| Power and communication line construction | 344 | $153,456 | 0.33 |
| Electric utilities | 2,157 | $165,928 | 1.25 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,070 | $159,697 | 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 Nassau County
5 data centers in Nassau County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Nassau County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Nassau County, Suffolk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau County | 1,398,939 | ▲ 0.6% | 1,474 MW | 3 MW | 5 | — |
| Queens County | 2,358,182 | ▲ 4.7% | 5,197 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Suffolk County | 1,546,090 | ▲ 3.6% | 4,389 MW | 1,119 MW | 4 | — |
More of New York
Nassau County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nassau County, New York?
3 utilities have service territory in Nassau County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Long Island Power Authority, Village of Freeport - (NY), Village of Rockville Centre - (NY). The largest, Long Island Power Authority, charged residential customers 24.57¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Oyster Bay, NY in?
Oyster Bay is in Nassau County, New York. About 301,115 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is North Hempstead, NY in?
North Hempstead is in Nassau County, New York. About 238,982 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hempstead, NY in?
Hempstead is in Nassau County, New York. About 59,819 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Nassau County?
14 operating plants with 1,474 MW of capacity. The largest is E F Barrett (669 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Nassau County?
3 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Village of Freeport - (NY).
Are there data centers in Nassau County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 5 data centers in Nassau County.
Is Nassau County adding jobs?
Employers counted 636,274 jobs in 2025 against 632,169 in 2019 (+0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 33,300 to 32,524.
Does Nassau County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nassau County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.