Ulster County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kingston and Shawangunk, and the communities of Highland
No data center or power plant project is on record in Ulster County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Ulster County is home to Kingston, Shawangunk, Ulster and Wawarsing, plus the unincorporated community of Highland. Next door, Dutchess County has 2 data centers. Construction employs 2,944, up 2.4% since 2019. 61 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 89 MW of capacity, 63% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Ulster County
Ulster County is home to Kingston, Shawangunk, Ulster and Wawarsing, plus the unincorporated community of Highland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Highland, Accord, Clintondale, Cragsmoor, East Kingston, Gardiner, Glasco, High Falls, Hillside, Hurley, Kerhonkson, Lake Katrine, Lincoln Park, Malden-on-Hudson, Marlboro, Milton, Napanoch, Phoenicia, Pine Hill, Plattekill, Port Ewen, Rifton, Rosendale, Ruby, Saugerties South, Shokan, Stone Ridge, Tillson, Walker Valley, Wallkill, Watchtower, West Hurley, Woodstock, Zena.
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 Ulster County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 181,304 | 183,330 | ▲ 1.1% | 20th of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 60,578 | 60,554 | ● 0.0% | 26th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,760 | $63,421 | ▲ 38.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,876 | 2,944 | ▲ 2.4% | 27th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.1% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 61 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
New York State Elec & Gas Corp is the largest utility serving Ulster 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. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 60,554 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019. 183,330 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Ulster County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +61 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ulster 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% |
| Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 270,859 | 25.14¢ | 35% |
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 25
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 56 MW | 63% |
| Hydro | 27 MW | 30% |
| Battery storage | 6 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sturgeon | Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp | Hydro | 14 MW | 1924 |
| Landau II Solar (Hybrid) | Generate Capital | Solar | 8 MW | 2021 |
| Magruder Solar Community Solar | Magruder Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| DOCCS Eastern | DOCCS Eastern | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Dashville | Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp | Hydro | 5 MW | 1920 |
| Ashokan | New York Power Authority | Hydro | 5 MW | 1982 |
The Ulster County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 60,554 | $63,421 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,944 | $76,309 | 0.92 |
| Data processing and hosting | 111 | $81,183 | 0.59 |
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 Ulster County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ulster County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide.
Ulster County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ulster County, Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulster County | 183,330 | ● 0.0% | 89 MW | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 60,168 | ▼ 4.8% | 43 MW | 47 MW | — | — |
| Delaware County | 44,305 | ▼ 3.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Dutchess County | 300,708 | ▲ 2.7% | 1,380 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Greene County | 47,238 | ▼ 0.9% | 1,268 MW | 105 MW | — | — |
| Orange County | 417,669 | ▲ 4.5% | 2,754 MW | 178 MW | — | — |
| Sullivan County | 80,586 | ▲ 4.8% | 123 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
More of New York
Ulster County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ulster County, New York?
2 utilities have service territory in Ulster County in the EIA-861 2024 report: New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Central Hudson Gas & Elec Corp. The largest, New York State Elec & Gas Corp, charged residential customers 18.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Kingston, NY in?
Kingston is in Ulster County, New York. About 23,942 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Shawangunk, NY in?
Shawangunk is in Ulster County, New York. About 13,609 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Ulster, NY in?
Ulster is in Ulster County, New York. About 12,646 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ulster County?
25 operating plants with 89 MW of capacity. The largest is Sturgeon (14 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Ulster County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ulster County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dutchess County.
Is Ulster County adding jobs?
Employers counted 60,554 jobs in 2025 against 60,578 in 2019 (-0.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,876 to 2,944.
Does Ulster County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ulster County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.