Beaver County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hopewell Township, Center Township and Economy
Beaver County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. 2,741 MW has retired here since 2019, including FirstEnergy Bruce Mansfield (coal, 2,741 MW, 2019). Construction employs 2,732, down 63.3% since 2019. Beaver County is home to Hopewell Township, Center Township, Economy and Aliquippa. 20 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Rye Development (other technologies). Its power plants have 2,218 MW of capacity, 83% of it nuclear, the 8th largest fleet in Pennsylvania.
Cities and towns in Beaver County
Beaver County is home to Hopewell Township, Center Township, Economy and Aliquippa.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Frisco, Hazen.
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 Beaver County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 167,857 | 166,032 | ▼ 1.1% | 21st of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 56,305 | 48,541 | ▼ 13.8% | 66th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,242 | $60,865 | ▲ 14.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,452 | 2,732 | ▼ 63.3% | 62nd of 62 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 4.3% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 364 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2,741 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 20 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 15th of 31 by size |
Employers here counted 48,541 jobs in 2025, down 13.8% from 2019. Next door, Allegheny County has 22 data centers. 364 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Beaver County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. 166,032 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Beaver County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2,377 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Beaver 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% |
| Borough of Ellwood City - (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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 1,847 MW | 83% |
| Natural gas | 310 MW | 14% |
| Solar | 56 MW | 3% |
| Hydro | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Valley | Energy Harbor Nuclear Generation LLC | Nuclear | 1,847 MW | 1976 |
| Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC | Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC | Natural gas | 310 MW | 2021 |
| Gaucho Solar | Gaucho Solar | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| Pine 1 Solar | BE-Pine1 LLC | Solar | 17 MW | 2023 |
| Pine 2 Solar | BE-Pine2 LLC | Solar | 17 MW | 2023 |
| Townsend Hydro | Beaver Falls Municipal Auth - (PA) | Hydro | 5 MW | 1987 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Montgomery L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Montgomery L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 7 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Bruce Mansfield | Coal | 2,741 MW | 2019 |
The Beaver County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 48,541 | $60,865 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,732 | $82,321 | 1.06 |
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 Beaver County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Beaver County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Allegheny County, Butler County.
Beaver County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Beaver County, Allegheny 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver County | 166,032 | ▼ 13.8% | 2,218 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Allegheny County | 1,225,035 | ▼ 4.7% | 1,127 MW | 77 MW | 22 | 1 |
| Butler County | 200,169 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Columbiana County OH | 99,377 | ▼ 4.6% | 1,210 MW | — | — | — |
| Hancock County WV | 27,729 | ▼ 8.0% | — | 28 MW | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 83,911 | ▼ 4.9% | 1,388 MW | 402 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 210,802 | ▲ 1.1% | 5 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Beaver County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Beaver County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Beaver County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Duquesne Light Co, Borough of Ellwood City - (PA). The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hopewell Township, PA in?
Hopewell Township is in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. About 13,104 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Center Township, PA in?
Center Township is in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. About 11,998 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Beaver County?
8 operating plants with 2,218 MW of capacity. The largest is Beaver Valley (1,847 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Beaver County?
20 MW across 3 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 Beaver County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Beaver County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Allegheny County.
Is Beaver County adding jobs?
Employers counted 48,541 jobs in 2025 against 56,305 in 2019 (-13.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,452 to 2,732.
Does Beaver County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Beaver County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.