Tompkins County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ithaca and Newfield, and the communities of Newfield
Tompkins County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Tompkins County. Tompkins County is home to Ithaca, Newfield, Ulysses and Cayuga Heights, plus the unincorporated community of Newfield. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Ban on data centers and cryptocurrency mines”. 160 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Lydian Energy (solar). 322 MW has retired here since 2019, including Cayuga Operating Company (coal, 322 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Tompkins County
Tompkins County is home to Ithaca, Newfield, Ulysses and Cayuga Heights, plus the unincorporated community of Newfield.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Newfield, Brooktondale, Danby, East Ithaca, Forest Home, Jacksonville, McLean, Northeast Ithaca, Northwest Ithaca, Slaterville Springs, South Hill, South Lansing, Varna, West Danby.
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 Tompkins County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 105,508 | 104,047 | ▼ 1.4% | 28th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49,702 | 47,711 | ▼ 4.0% | 47th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,360 | $72,152 | ▲ 30.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 990 | 872 | ▼ 11.9% | 47th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 87 | 65 | ▼ 25.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 70 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 322 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 160 MW | 135% of today's fleet | 12th of 43 by size |
Construction employs 872, down 11.9% since 2019. 70 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 47,711 jobs in 2025, down 4.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 118 MW of capacity, 63% of it solar. New York State Elec & Gas Corp is the largest utility serving Tompkins County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 18.32¢/kWh in 2024, above the 17.22¢ median for New York utilities. 104,047 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 65, down 25.3% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $58,046 a year.
Who powers Tompkins County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −253 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Tompkins County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York State Elec & Gas Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 792,300 | 18.32¢ | 23% |
| Village of Groton - (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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 74 MW | 63% |
| Natural gas | 38 MW | 32% |
| Battery storage | 3 MW | 3% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 2% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University Central Heat | Cornell University - CHP | Natural gas | 40 MW | 1988 |
| Ellis Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 18 MW | 2019 |
| Newfield Community Solar LLC | Newfield Solar LLC | Solar | 12 MW | 2019 |
| Lansing Renewables, LLC | Lansing Renewables, LLC | Battery storage | 8 MW | 2020 |
| Enfield Solar Site 3 | NSF Enfield Site 3, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| NSF Danby Site 1, LLC | NSF Energy Two, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Barn Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 160 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Lydian Energy |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cayuga Operating Company | Coal | 322 MW | 2019 |
The Tompkins County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 47,711 | $72,152 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 872 | $64,862 | 0.34 |
| Electrical contractors | 65 | $58,046 | 0.19 |
| Data processing and hosting | 22 | $138,319 | 0.15 |
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 Tompkins County
1 data center in Tompkins County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban on data centers and cryptocurrency mines | In force | 2026-02 |
Tompkins County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Tompkins County, Cayuga 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tompkins County | 104,047 | ▼ 4.0% | 118 MW | 160 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Cayuga County | 74,365 | ▼ 3.9% | 51 MW | 137 MW | — | — |
| Chemung County | 80,415 | ▼ 4.6% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Cortland County | 45,850 | ▼ 4.7% | 65 MW | 95 MW | — | — |
| Schuyler County | 16,924 | ▲ 5.6% | 29 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Seneca County | 32,883 | ▼ 16.9% | 40 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Tioga County | 47,453 | ▼ 2.2% | 76 MW | 23 MW | — | — |
More of New York
Tompkins County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Tompkins County, New York?
2 utilities have service territory in Tompkins County in the EIA-861 2024 report: New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Village of Groton - (NY). The largest, New York State Elec & Gas Corp, charged residential customers 18.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ithaca, NY in?
Ithaca is in Tompkins County, New York. About 33,632 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Tompkins County?
17 operating plants with 118 MW of capacity. The largest is Cornell University Central Heat (40 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Tompkins County?
160 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Lydian Energy.
Are there data centers in Tompkins County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Tompkins County.
Is Tompkins County adding jobs?
Employers counted 47,711 jobs in 2025 against 49,702 in 2019 (-4.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 990 to 872.
Does Tompkins County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Tompkins County, 1 in force.