Schenectady County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Schenectady, Rotterdam and Glenville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Schenectady County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Schenectady County is home to Schenectady, Rotterdam, Glenville and Niskayuna. Next door, Albany County has 11 data centers. Construction employs 2,463, down 5.1% since 2019. 74 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 76 MW of capacity, 93% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Schenectady County
Schenectady County is home to Schenectady, Rotterdam, Glenville and Niskayuna.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Duane Lake, Duanesburg, East Glenville, Mariaville Lake, Niskayuna, Rotterdam.
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 Schenectady County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 157,874 | 162,581 | ▲ 3.0% | 21st of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 61,944 | 60,183 | ▼ 2.8% | 38th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,543 | $75,694 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,594 | 2,463 | ▼ 5.1% | 40th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 74 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 60,183 jobs in 2025, down 2.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. is the largest utility serving Schenectady County. Its residential customers paid an average 17.22¢/kWh in 2024. 162,581 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Schenectady County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +74 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Schenectady 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% |
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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 71 MW | 93% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY8 - Teichos Pattersonville | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2024 |
| SCH - (2A) 156 Barhydt Rd Glenville | Distributed Solar Development, LLC | Solar | 8 MW | 2021 |
| Princetown Solar 1 | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| SCH County - (2B) 4982 Rynex Corners Rd | Distributed Solar Development, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2020 |
| Sunnyside 1 Solar | Solar DG NY Sunnyside 1, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
| Sunnyside 2 Solar | Solar DG NY Sunnyside 2, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2023 |
The Schenectady County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 60,183 | $75,694 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,463 | $82,559 | 0.77 |
| Power and communication line construction | 65 | $146,506 | 0.67 |
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 Schenectady County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Schenectady County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide.
Schenectady County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Schenectady 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schenectady County | 162,581 | ▼ 2.8% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Albany County | 321,225 | ▲ 1.0% | 1,517 MW | 5 MW | 11 | — |
| Montgomery County | 50,046 | ▲ 1.6% | 176 MW | 340 MW | — | — |
| Saratoga County | 241,343 | ▲ 5.0% | 582 MW | 18 MW | 1 | — |
| Schoharie County | 30,176 | ▼ 5.6% | 1,052 MW | — | — | — |
More of New York
Schenectady County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Schenectady County, New York?
1 utility has service territory in Schenectady County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Niagara Mohawk Power Corp.. The largest, Niagara Mohawk Power Corp., charged residential customers 17.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Schenectady, NY in?
Schenectady is in Schenectady County, New York. About 69,471 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Rotterdam, NY in?
Rotterdam is in Schenectady County, New York. About 31,065 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Glenville, NY in?
Glenville is in Schenectady County, New York. About 29,701 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Schenectady County?
16 operating plants with 76 MW of capacity. The largest is NY8 - Teichos Pattersonville (20 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Schenectady County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Schenectady County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Albany County.
Is Schenectady County adding jobs?
Employers counted 60,183 jobs in 2025 against 61,944 in 2019 (-2.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,594 to 2,463.
Does Schenectady County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Schenectady County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.