Orleans County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ridgeway, Medina and Albion
Orleans County is where a large share of New York's next power plants are planned. Orleans County is home to Ridgeway, Medina, Albion and Shelby. 136 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Heritage Wind, LLC (wind). 10 MW of it is already under construction or built. 34 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 11,445 jobs in 2025, down 5.5% from 2019. Construction employs 360, down 1.4% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Orleans County
Orleans County is home to Ridgeway, Medina, Albion and Shelby.
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 Orleans County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,047 | 39,825 | ▼ 0.6% | 54th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,112 | 11,445 | ▼ 5.5% | 55th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,185 | $60,784 | ▲ 37.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 365 | 360 | ▼ 1.4% | 34th of 55 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21 | 31 | ▲ 47.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 34 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 136 MW | 348% of today's fleet | 14th of 43 by size |
Its power plants have 39 MW of capacity, 86% of it solar. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Orleans County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 39,825 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Orleans County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +34 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Orleans 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 Holley - (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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 34 MW | 86% |
| Hydro | 6 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion A | NY USLE Albion Long Bridge A LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Allis Medina Solar LLC CSG | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2020 |
| Kendall DG Solar | DG Kendall, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Source Power NY III - Medina II (CSG) | TJA-NY-11202 Ridge Rd Medina, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| AES Baird Solar CSG | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |
| Waterport | Erie Boulevard Hydropower LP | Hydro | 4 MW | 1921 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 126 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Heritage Wind, LLC |
| Pescara 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Pescara 1 Solar LLC |
| Pescara 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Pescara 2 Solar LLC |
The Orleans County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,445 | $60,784 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 360 | $64,650 | 0.59 |
| Electric utilities | 31 | $184,641 | 1.00 |
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 Orleans County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Orleans County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide.
Orleans County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Orleans 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans County | 39,825 | ▼ 5.5% | 39 MW | 136 MW | — | — |
| Genesee County | 58,416 | ▼ 0.9% | 148 MW | 861 MW | — | — |
| Monroe County | 750,506 | ▼ 0.9% | 371 MW | 4 MW | 5 | — |
| Niagara County | 208,912 | ▼ 5.6% | 3,087 MW | 333 MW | 6 | — |
More of New York
Orleans County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Orleans County, New York?
3 utilities have service territory in Orleans County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Village of Holley - (NY). The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Orleans County?
10 operating plants with 39 MW of capacity. The largest is Albion A (5 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Orleans County?
136 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 10 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Heritage Wind, LLC.
Are there data centers in Orleans County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Orleans County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Genesee County.
Is Orleans County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,445 jobs in 2025 against 12,112 in 2019 (-5.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 365 to 360.
Does Orleans County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Orleans County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.