Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pittsburgh, Penn Hills and Mount Lebanon
Allegheny County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 22 data centers in Allegheny County, 23% of Pennsylvania's total. Allegheny County is home to Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Mount Lebanon and Ross Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Ban on hyperscale data centers on county-owned land”. 77 MW of new generation is planned here across 32 units, led by Rye Development (other technologies), the 9th largest pipeline among Pennsylvania's counties. 637 MW has retired here since 2019, including Cheswick Power Plant (coal, 637 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in Allegheny County
Allegheny County is home to Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Mount Lebanon and Ross Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allison Park, Bairdford, Bakerstown, Boston, Carnot-Moon, Clinton, Curtisville, Enlow, Gibsonia, Glenshaw, Greenock, Harwick, Imperial, Noblestown, Rennerdale, Russellton, Sturgeon.
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 Allegheny County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,249,585 | 1,225,035 | ▼ 2.0% | 2nd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 703,109 | 670,169 | ▼ 4.7% | 49th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $62,666 | $81,253 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 30,713 | 30,491 | ▼ 0.7% | 43rd of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,375 | 3,747 | ▲ 11.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 268 | 305 | ▲ 13.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,016 | 1,672 | ▲ 64.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 28 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 637 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 77 MW | 7% of today's fleet | 9th of 31 by size |
Its power plants have 1,127 MW of capacity, 90% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 3,747, up 11.0% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $97,633 a year. 28 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Construction employs 30,491, down 0.7% since 2019. Employers here counted 670,169 jobs in 2025, down 4.7% from 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Allegheny County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 1,225,035 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020, 2nd of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population.
Who powers Allegheny County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −609 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Allegheny County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,802,612 | 17.37¢ | 16% |
| Duquesne Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 550,405 | 21.74¢ | 24% |
| Central Electric Coop, Inc - (PA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,629 | 17.03¢ | 22% |
| Borough of Pitcairn - (PA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Borough of Tarentum - (PA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,011 MW | 90% |
| Other technologies | 84 MW | 7% |
| Petroleum | 27 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Energy Units 3 4 & 5 | Springdale Energy LLC | Natural gas | 556 MW | 2003 |
| Brunot Island | Brunot Island Power, LLC | Natural gas | 365 MW | 1972 |
| Springdale 1 & 2 | Springdale Energy LLC | Natural gas | 88 MW | 1999 |
| Mon Valley Works | United States Steel-Mon Valley | Other technologies | 52 MW | 1943 |
| Clairton Works | United States Steel- Clairton | Other technologies | 31 MW | 1955 |
| Pittsburgh Airport Gas Plant | IMG Energy Solutions | Natural gas | 22 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 32
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emsworth BC Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| Emsworth L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| Emsworth L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| Emsworth L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| Emsworth BC Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 6 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| Emsworth BC Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 6 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| Braddock Lock and Dam | Conventional Hydroelectric | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Lock+ Hydro Friends Fund XLII, LLC |
| Allegheny L&D2 Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 4 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| Allegheny L&D2 Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 4 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Rye Development |
| CW Bill Young Hydropower Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | C.W. Bill Young Hydropower Group, Inc |
| CW Bill Young Hydropower Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | C.W. Bill Young Hydropower Group, Inc |
| CW Bill Young Hydropower Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | C.W. Bill Young Hydropower Group, Inc |
| CW Bill Young Hydropower Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | C.W. Bill Young Hydropower Group, Inc |
| CW Bill Young Hydropower Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | C.W. Bill Young Hydropower Group, Inc |
| CW Bill Young Hydropower Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | C.W. Bill Young Hydropower Group, Inc |
| CW Bill Young Hydropower Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | C.W. Bill Young Hydropower Group, Inc |
| Dashields Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Dashields Hydropower Corporations |
| Dashields Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Dashields Hydropower Corporations |
| Dashields Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Dashields Hydropower Corporations |
| Dashields Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 1 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Dashields Hydropower Corporations |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheswick Power Plant | Coal | 637 MW | 2022 |
The Allegheny County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 670,169 | $81,253 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 30,491 | $88,484 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,747 | $97,633 | 0.78 |
| Power and communication line construction | 305 | $96,125 | 0.28 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,672 | $195,795 | 0.80 |
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 Allegheny County
22 data centers in Allegheny County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ban on hyperscale data centers on county-owned land | In force | 2026-09 |
Allegheny County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Allegheny County, Armstrong 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny County | 1,225,035 | ▼ 4.7% | 1,127 MW | 77 MW | 22 | 1 |
| Armstrong County | 63,698 | ▼ 5.4% | 2,627 MW | 18 MW | 1 | — |
| Beaver County | 166,032 | ▼ 13.8% | 2,218 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Butler County | 200,169 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Washington County | 210,802 | ▲ 1.1% | 5 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
| Westmoreland County | 349,324 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,166 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Allegheny County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania?
5 utilities have service territory in Allegheny County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Duquesne Light Co, Central Electric Coop, Inc - (PA), Borough of Pitcairn - (PA). The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pittsburgh, PA in?
Pittsburgh is in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. About 307,632 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Penn Hills, PA in?
Penn Hills is in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. About 39,452 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Mount Lebanon, PA in?
Mount Lebanon is in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. About 32,552 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Allegheny County?
10 operating plants with 1,127 MW of capacity. The largest is Allegheny Energy Units 3 4 & 5 (556 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Allegheny County?
77 MW across 32 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Rye Development.
Are there data centers in Allegheny County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 22 data centers in Allegheny County.
Is Allegheny County adding jobs?
Employers counted 670,169 jobs in 2025 against 703,109 in 2019 (-4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 30,713 to 30,491.
Does Allegheny County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Allegheny County, 1 in force.