Oneida County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Utica, Rome and Whitestown
Oneida County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Oneida County. Oneida County is home to Utica, Rome, Whitestown and Kirkland. 25 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by SunEast Skyline Solar LLC (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 298, up 24.2% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $81,802 a year. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including Burrstone Energy Center (natural gas, 4 MW, 2024).
Cities and towns in Oneida County
Oneida County is home to Utica, Rome, Whitestown and Kirkland.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Barneveld, Bridgewater, Chadwicks, Clark Mills, Durhamville, Hamilton College, Lake Delta, Marcy, North Bay, Otter Lake, Prospect, Stittville, Verona, Washington Mills, Westernville, Westmoreland, White Lake.
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 Oneida County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 231,265 | 226,392 | ▼ 2.1% | 17th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 106,095 | 101,447 | ▼ 4.4% | 48th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,171 | $63,689 | ▲ 41.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,408 | 2,391 | ▼ 0.7% | 32nd of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 240 | 298 | ▲ 24.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4 | 22 | ▲ 450.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 107 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 25 MW | 10% of today's fleet | 26th of 43 by size |
107 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 101,447 jobs in 2025, down 4.4% from 2019. Its power plants have 242 MW of capacity, 50% of it solar. Construction employs 2,391, down 0.7% since 2019. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Oneida County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 226,392 people live here, down 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Oneida County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +103 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Oneida 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) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Oneida-Madison Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Sherrill - (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 39
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 120 MW | 50% |
| Natural gas | 64 MW | 27% |
| Hydro | 53 MW | 22% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling Power Plant | Sterling Power Partners LP | Natural gas | 65 MW | 1991 |
| Trenton Falls | Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP | Hydro | 22 MW | 1919 |
| Prospect | Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP | Hydro | 19 MW | 1959 |
| Jarvis (Hinckley) | New York Power Authority | Hydro | 9 MW | 1991 |
| Wolcott Hill (Camden) (CSG) | Nautilus Solar Solutions | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| GSPP 7024 Fox Rd, LLC | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SunEast Skyline Solar Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 20 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | SunEast Skyline Solar LLC |
| Vienna | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Generate Capital |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burrstone Energy Center | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2024 |
The Oneida County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 101,447 | $63,689 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,391 | $71,662 | 0.44 |
| Electrical contractors | 298 | $81,802 | 0.41 |
| Power and communication line construction | 60 | $72,921 | 0.37 |
| Data processing and hosting | 22 | $101,435 | 0.07 |
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 Oneida County
1 data center in Oneida County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Oneida County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Oneida 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oneida County | 226,392 | ▼ 4.4% | 242 MW | 25 MW | 1 | — |
| Herkimer County | 59,219 | ▼ 4.7% | 138 MW | 82 MW | — | — |
| Lewis County | 26,479 | ▲ 9.0% | 785 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 67,120 | ▼ 2.4% | 118 MW | 182 MW | — | — |
| Oswego County | 118,569 | ▼ 2.9% | 5,959 MW | 14 MW | — | — |
| Otsego County | 60,589 | ▼ 4.6% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
More of New York
Oneida County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Oneida County, New York?
5 utilities have service territory in Oneida County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Village of Boonville - (NY), Oneida-Madison Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Utica, NY in?
Utica is in Oneida County, New York. About 62,978 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Rome, NY in?
Rome is in Oneida County, New York. About 31,682 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Whitestown, NY in?
Whitestown is in Oneida County, New York. About 17,697 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Oneida County?
39 operating plants with 242 MW of capacity. The largest is Sterling Power Plant (65 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Oneida County?
25 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SunEast Skyline Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Oneida County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Oneida County.
Is Oneida County adding jobs?
Employers counted 101,447 jobs in 2025 against 106,095 in 2019 (-4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,408 to 2,391.
Does Oneida County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Oneida County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.