Rensselaer County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Troy and East Greenbush, and the communities of East Greenbush
The data center boom is not abstract in Rensselaer County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Rensselaer County. Rensselaer County is home to Troy, East Greenbush, North Greenbush and Schodack, plus the unincorporated community of East Greenbush. Construction employs 3,016, up 13.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 949 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas. 80 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County is home to Troy, East Greenbush, North Greenbush and Schodack, plus the unincorporated community of East Greenbush.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): East Greenbush, Averill Park, Hampton Manor, Nassau Lake, Poestenkill, West Sand Lake, Wynantskill.
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 Rensselaer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 160,889 | 160,510 | ▼ 0.2% | 22nd of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 54,484 | 56,312 | ▲ 3.4% | 14th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,333 | $73,962 | ▲ 36.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,648 | 3,016 | ▲ 13.9% | 9th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 424 | 457 | ▲ 7.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 80 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 457, up 7.8% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $96,282 a year. Employers here counted 56,312 jobs in 2025, up 3.4% from 2019. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Rensselaer County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 160,510 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Rensselaer County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +80 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rensselaer 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% |
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 22
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 820 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 82 MW | 9% |
| Hydro | 26 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 20 MW | 2% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Generating Co LLC | Empire Generating Co LLC | Natural gas | 654 MW | 2010 |
| Rensselaer Cogen | Rensselaer Generating LLC | Natural gas | 88 MW | 1994 |
| Castleton Energy Center | Fortistar Castleton Power | Natural gas | 72 MW | 1992 |
| NY8 - Branscomb Solar | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2021 |
| Stephentown Spindle | Convergent Energy and Power LP | Other technologies | 20 MW | 2011 |
| NY8 - Darby Solar | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
The Rensselaer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 56,312 | $73,962 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,016 | $96,032 | 1.01 |
| Electrical contractors | 457 | $96,282 | 1.13 |
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 Rensselaer County
1 data center in Rensselaer County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Rensselaer County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Rensselaer County, Albany 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer County | 160,510 | ▲ 3.4% | 949 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Albany County | 321,225 | ▲ 1.0% | 1,517 MW | 5 MW | 11 | — |
| Bennington County VT | 36,630 | ▼ 4.3% | 44 MW | 22 MW | — | — |
| Berkshire County MA | 128,224 | ▼ 5.4% | 1,024 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 60,168 | ▼ 4.8% | 43 MW | 47 MW | — | — |
| Greene County | 47,238 | ▼ 0.9% | 1,268 MW | 105 MW | — | — |
| Saratoga County | 241,343 | ▲ 5.0% | 582 MW | 18 MW | 1 | — |
| Washington County | 59,353 | ▼ 3.6% | 72 MW | — | — | — |
More of New York
Rensselaer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rensselaer County, New York?
2 utilities have service territory in Rensselaer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., New York State Elec & Gas Corp. The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Troy, NY in?
Troy is in Rensselaer County, New York. About 50,912 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is East Greenbush, NY in?
East Greenbush is in Rensselaer County, New York. About 16,561 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is North Greenbush, NY in?
North Greenbush is in Rensselaer County, New York. About 13,523 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Rensselaer County?
22 operating plants with 949 MW of capacity. The largest is Empire Generating Co LLC (654 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Rensselaer County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Rensselaer County.
Is Rensselaer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 56,312 jobs in 2025 against 54,484 in 2019 (+3.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,648 to 3,016.
Does Rensselaer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rensselaer County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.