Berks County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Reading, Spring Township and Exeter Township
Berks County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Berks County, 3% of Pennsylvania's total. Berks County is home to Reading, Spring Township, Exeter Township and Muhlenberg Township. 548 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Construction employs 7,863, up 8.8% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,326 MW of capacity, 94% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Berks County
Berks County is home to Reading, Spring Township, Exeter Township and Muhlenberg Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alleghenyville, Alsace Manor, Amity Gardens, Baumstown, Bethel, Blandon, Bowers, Colony Park, Dauberville, Douglassville, Dryville, Edenburg, Flying Hills, Fox Chase, Frystown, Gibraltar, Gouglersville, Greenfields, Grill, Hereford, Hyde Park, Jacksonwald, Kempton, Kutztown University, Lincoln Park, Lorane, Maxatawny, Mertztown, Mohrsville, Montrose Manor, Morgantown, Mount Aetna, Muhlenberg Park, New Berlinville, New Jerusalem, New Schaefferstown, Oley, Penn State Berks, Pennside, Pennwyn and 18 more.
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 Berks County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 428,651 | 440,072 | ▲ 2.7% | 9th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 176,051 | 175,054 | ▼ 0.6% | 29th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,180 | $65,982 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,228 | 7,863 | ▲ 8.8% | 21st of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 972 | 1,087 | ▲ 11.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 339 | 268 | ▼ 20.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 117 | 126 | ▲ 7.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.3% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 548 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 1,087, up 11.8% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $88,527 a year. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Berks 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. Employers here counted 175,054 jobs in 2025, down 0.6% from 2019. 440,072 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020, 9th of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Who powers Berks County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +548 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Berks 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% |
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,295,883 | 16.99¢ | 19% |
| Borough of Kutztown - (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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,253 MW | 94% |
| Petroleum | 36 MW | 3% |
| Solar | 24 MW | 2% |
| Other technologies | 13 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ontelaunee Energy Center | Ontelaunee Energy Center | Natural gas | 728 MW | 2002 |
| Birdsboro Power | Birdsboro Power LLC | Natural gas | 525 MW | 2019 |
| Titus | Titus Power, LLC | Petroleum | 36 MW | 1967 |
| Lyons Solar | Lyons Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| Pioneer Crossing Energy, LLC | Pioneer Crossing Energy LLC | Other technologies | 8 MW | 2008 |
| Western Berks | NextEra Renewable Fuels, LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2024 |
The Berks County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 175,054 | $65,982 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,863 | $83,024 | 0.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,087 | $88,527 | 0.86 |
| Electric utilities | 268 | $168,109 | 0.57 |
| Data processing and hosting | 126 | $80,358 | 0.23 |
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 Berks County
3 data centers in Berks County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Berks County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Berks County, Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berks County | 440,072 | ▼ 0.6% | 1,326 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Chester County | 557,116 | ▲ 0.3% | 65 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Lancaster County | 563,159 | ▲ 3.7% | 1,815 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Lebanon County | 146,380 | ▲ 4.1% | 784 MW | — | — | — |
| Lehigh County | 384,383 | ▲ 4.3% | 8 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Montgomery County | 877,643 | ▼ 0.2% | 2,473 MW | 2 MW | 9 | 1 |
| Schuylkill County | 145,085 | ▲ 1.1% | 363 MW | — | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Berks County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Berks County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Berks County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, PPL Electric Utilities Corp, Borough of Kutztown - (PA). The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Reading, PA in?
Reading is in Berks County, Pennsylvania. About 95,832 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Spring Township, PA in?
Spring Township is in Berks County, Pennsylvania. About 28,873 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Exeter Township, PA in?
Exeter Township is in Berks County, Pennsylvania. About 26,069 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Berks County?
9 operating plants with 1,326 MW of capacity. The largest is Ontelaunee Energy Center (728 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Berks County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Berks County.
Is Berks County adding jobs?
Employers counted 175,054 jobs in 2025 against 176,051 in 2019 (-0.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,228 to 7,863.
Does Berks County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Berks County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.