Queens County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to New York
Queens County hosts some of the generating capacity New York runs on. Its power plants have 5,197 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in New York. 1,369 MW has retired here since 2019, including Astoria Gas Turbines (natural gas, 503 MW, 2023). Queens County is home to part of New York (2,358,182 of its 8,584,629 residents). 15 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by NineDot Holdings, LLC (battery storage). 15 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, New York County has 45 data centers.
Cities and towns in Queens County
Queens County is home to part of New York (2,358,182 of its 8,584,629 residents).
- New York also extends into Kings County, New York County, Bronx County, Richmond County.
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 Queens County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,385,541 | 2,358,182 | ▼ 1.1% | 2nd of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 717,786 | 751,303 | ▲ 4.7% | 9th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,449 | $71,044 | ▲ 23.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 55,000 | 48,538 | ▼ 11.7% | 46th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,186 | 8,573 | ▼ 23.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 133 | 380 | ▲ 185.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1,369 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 15 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 31st of 43 by size |
Construction employs 48,538, down 11.7% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Employers here counted 751,303 jobs in 2025, up 4.7% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 62 New York counties). Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc is the largest utility serving Queens County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 35.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 17.22¢ median for New York utilities. 2,358,182 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020, 2nd of 62 New York counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 8,573, down 23.4% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $107,577 a year.
Who powers Queens County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1,356 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Queens County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 3,064,038 | 35.66¢ | 45% |
| Long Island Power Authority | State | Bundled | 1,029,955 | 24.57¢ | 47% |
| North Shore Towers Apts 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 19
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 5,043 MW | 97% |
| Petroleum | 80 MW | 2% |
| Other technologies | 60 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 12 MW | 0% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravenswood | Ravenswood Operations LLC | Natural gas | 2,096 MW | 1963 |
| Astoria Generating Station | Astoria Generating Company, L.P. | Natural gas | 958 MW | 1954 |
| Astoria Energy II | Astoria Energy II LLC | Natural gas | 650 MW | 2011 |
| Astoria Energy | Astoria Energy LLC | Natural gas | 595 MW | 2006 |
| Zeltmann | New York Power Authority | Natural gas | 528 MW | 2005 |
| Kennedy International Airport Cogen | KIAC Partners | Natural gas | 121 MW | 1994 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Willow A Clean Energy LLC | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | NineDot Holdings, LLC |
| Water Willow B Clean Energy LLC | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | NineDot Holdings, LLC |
| Coral Honeysuckle Clean Energy LLC | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | NineDot Holdings, LLC |
| Linden Clean Energy, LLC | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | NineDot Holdings, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astoria Gas Turbines | Natural gas | 503 MW | 2023 |
| Ravenswood | Natural gas | 456 MW | 2023 |
| Astoria Generating Station | Natural gas | 387 MW | 2021 |
| Astoria Gas Turbines | Petroleum | 24 MW | 2019 |
The Queens County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 751,303 | $71,044 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 48,538 | $96,559 | 1.22 |
| Electrical contractors | 8,573 | $107,577 | 1.58 |
| Electric utilities | 2,563 | $165,652 | 1.26 |
| Data processing and hosting | 380 | $135,479 | 0.16 |
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 Queens County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Queens County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide.
Queens County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Queens County, New York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queens County | 2,358,182 | ▲ 4.7% | 5,197 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Bronx County | 1,406,332 | ▲ 9.2% | 292 MW | 47 MW | — | — |
| Kings County | 2,653,963 | ▲ 16.2% | 1,526 MW | 1,140 MW | 2 | — |
| Nassau County | 1,398,939 | ▲ 0.6% | 1,474 MW | 3 MW | 5 | — |
| New York County | 1,664,862 | ▼ 1.6% | 905 MW | 6 MW | 45 | — |
More of New York
Queens County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Queens County, New York?
3 utilities have service territory in Queens County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc, Long Island Power Authority, North Shore Towers Apts Inc. The largest, Consolidated Edison Co-NY Inc, charged residential customers 35.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Is New York in Queens County?
Partly. 2,358,182 of New York's 8,584,629 residents (27%) live in Queens County; most of the city is in Kings County.
What power plants are in Queens County?
19 operating plants with 5,197 MW of capacity. The largest is Ravenswood (2,096 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Queens County?
15 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 15 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is NineDot Holdings, LLC.
Are there data centers in Queens County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Queens County. The nearest activity on record is next door in New York County.
Is Queens County adding jobs?
Employers counted 751,303 jobs in 2025 against 717,786 in 2019 (+4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 55,000 to 48,538.
Does Queens County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Queens County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.