Wayne County, New York: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Arcadia, Ontario and Walworth
Wayne County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Wayne County is home to Arcadia, Ontario, Walworth and Macedon. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Dimension Energy LLC (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Monroe County has 5 data centers. Construction employs 1,414, up 12.3% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 169, up 20.7% since 2019 against down 6.8% statewide, at an average $68,539 a year.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Arcadia, Ontario, Walworth and Macedon.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Gananda, Lyons, Macedon, Marion, North Rose, Ontario, Pultneyville, Savannah, Walworth, Williamson.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New York |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 91,201 | 91,250 | ▲ 0.1% | 31st of 62 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28,936 | 28,770 | ▼ 0.6% | 27th of 62 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,743 | $58,849 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,259 | 1,414 | ▲ 12.3% | 14th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 140 | 169 | ▲ 20.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62 | 169 | ▲ 172.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 18 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 37th of 43 by size |
2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Harbec Energy (wind, 1 MW, 2025). 18 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 635 MW of capacity, 97% of it nuclear. New York State Elec & Gas Corp is the largest utility serving Wayne 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. Employers here counted 28,770 jobs in 2025, down 0.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 91,250 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Wayne County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +16 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| Rochester Gas & Electric Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 351,481 | 18.76¢ | 22% |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 614 MW | 97% |
| Solar | 21 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R E Ginna Nuclear Power Plant | Constellation Nuclear | Nuclear | 614 MW | 1970 |
| Arcadia | Bullrock-NxtGenREA | Solar | 3 MW | 2024 |
| Furnace Rd Community Solar Farm | KSI II Consolidated, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |
| Eddy | Generate Capital | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Brickchurch Solar | Generate Capital | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Frey Rd #1 Community Solar Farm | KSI II Consolidated, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macedon CSG LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Dimension Energy LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbec Energy | Wind | 1 MW | 2025 |
| Harbec Energy | Natural gas | 0 MW | 2025 |
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,770 | $58,849 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,414 | $68,160 | 0.93 |
| Electrical contractors | 169 | $68,539 | 0.81 |
| Power and communication line construction | 169 | $86,931 | 3.64 |
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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. New York has 35 local measures on record statewide.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Wayne County, Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 91,250 | ▼ 0.6% | 635 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Cayuga County | 74,365 | ▼ 3.9% | 51 MW | 137 MW | — | — |
| Monroe County | 750,506 | ▼ 0.9% | 371 MW | 4 MW | 5 | — |
| Ontario County | 113,130 | ▲ 1.7% | 81 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Seneca County | 32,883 | ▼ 16.9% | 40 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of New York
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, New York?
2 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: New York State Elec & Gas Corp, Rochester Gas & Electric Corp. The largest, New York State Elec & Gas Corp, charged residential customers 18.32¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Arcadia, NY in?
Arcadia is in Wayne County, New York. About 13,522 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Ontario, NY in?
Ontario is in Wayne County, New York. About 10,701 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wayne County?
11 operating plants with 635 MW of capacity. The largest is R E Ginna Nuclear Power Plant (614 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Wayne County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Dimension Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Monroe County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,770 jobs in 2025 against 28,936 in 2019 (-0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,259 to 1,414.
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. New York has 35 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.