Otsego County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oneonta, Otsego and Worcester
No data center or power plant project is on record in Otsego County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Otsego County is home to Oneonta, Otsego, Worcester and Richfield. Next door, Montgomery County has 340 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 455, up 13.8% since 2019. 12 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 22,645 jobs in 2025, down 4.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Otsego County
Otsego County is home to Oneonta, Otsego, Worcester and Richfield.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burlington Flats, East Worcester, Edmeston, Fly Creek, Garrattsville, Hartwick, Hartwick Seminary, Mount Vision, Portlandville, Schenevus, Schuyler Lake, South Edmeston, Springfield Center, Unadilla Forks, Wells Bridge, West End, Westford, Worcester.
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 Otsego County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 58,389 | 60,589 | ▲ 3.8% | 40th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,740 | 22,645 | ▼ 4.6% | 50th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,582 | $61,539 | ▲ 38.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 400 | 455 | ▲ 13.8% | 11th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 19 MW of capacity, 63% of it solar. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Otsego County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 60,589 people live here, up 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Otsego County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Otsego 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% |
| Delaware County Elec Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Otsego Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 12 MW | 63% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 30% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassett Medical Center | Bassett Healthcare | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1992 |
| NSF Edmeston Site 1 | NSF Energy Three LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| NSF Edmeston Site 2 | NSF Energy Three LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| Pool Brook Rd Community Solar Farm | Generate Capital | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Goodyear Lake Plant | Hydroland Omega LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1980 |
The Otsego County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 22,645 | $61,539 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 455 | $66,187 | 0.38 |
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 Otsego County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Otsego County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide.
Otsego County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Otsego County, Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otsego County | 60,589 | ▼ 4.6% | 19 MW | — | — | — |
| Chenango County | 45,715 | ▲ 3.5% | 28 MW | 103 MW | — | — |
| Delaware County | 44,305 | ▼ 3.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Herkimer County | 59,219 | ▼ 4.7% | 138 MW | 82 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 67,120 | ▼ 2.4% | 118 MW | 182 MW | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 50,046 | ▲ 1.6% | 176 MW | 340 MW | — | — |
| Oneida County | 226,392 | ▼ 4.4% | 242 MW | 25 MW | 1 | — |
| Schoharie County | 30,176 | ▼ 5.6% | 1,052 MW | — | — | — |
More of New York
Otsego County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Otsego County, New York?
4 utilities have service territory in Otsego County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Delaware County Elec Coop Inc, Otsego Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Oneonta, NY in?
Oneonta is in Otsego County, New York. About 15,665 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Otsego County?
5 operating plants with 19 MW of capacity. The largest is Bassett Medical Center (6 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Otsego County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Otsego County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Montgomery County.
Is Otsego County adding jobs?
Employers counted 22,645 jobs in 2025 against 23,740 in 2019 (-4.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 400 to 455.
Does Otsego County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Otsego County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.