Blair County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Altoona, Logan Township and Frankstown Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Blair County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Blair County is home to Altoona, Logan Township, Frankstown Township and Allegheny Township. Next door, Clearfield County has 1 data center and 667 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 2,828, up 13.1% since 2019. 88 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Blair County
Blair County is home to Altoona, Logan Township, Frankstown Township and Allegheny Township.
And 1 smaller places.
- Tunnelhill also extends into Cambria County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bald Eagle, Beavertown, Blue Knob, Brooks Mill, Canan Station, Canoe Creek, Carson Valley, Charlottsville, Clappertown, Claysburg, Cotton Town, Cove Forge, Cross Keys, Culp, Curryville, Dumb Hundred, East Altoona, East Freedom, East Sharpsburg, Elberta, Eldorado, Fisherville, Foot of Ten, Fort Fetter, Fostoria, Franklin Forge, Frankstown, Fredericksburg, Friesville, Ganister, Geeseytown, Gray, Grazierville, Greenwood, Henrietta, Homewood at Martinsburg, Ironville, Jugtown, Juniata Gap, Klahr and 44 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 Blair County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 122,667 | 119,541 | ▼ 2.5% | 28th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 58,441 | 58,360 | ▼ 0.1% | 25th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,096 | $54,924 | ▲ 27.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,501 | 2,828 | ▲ 13.1% | 16th of 62 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 88 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 252 MW of capacity, 99% of it wind. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Blair 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 58,360 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019. 119,541 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Blair County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +88 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Blair 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% |
| REA Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,932 | 14.53¢ | 17% |
| Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,180 | 14.87¢ | 27% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 251 MW | 99% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Ridge Wind 2, LLC | Algonquin Power Co | Wind | 88 MW | 2023 |
| North Allegheny Windpower Project | Deriva Energy | Wind | 75 MW | 2009 |
| Sandy Ridge Wind Farm | Algonquin Power Co | Wind | 50 MW | 2012 |
| Chestnut Flats Wind Farm | UPC Power Solutions | Wind | 38 MW | 2011 |
| Juniata Locomotive Shop | Norfork Southern Corp | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2015 |
The Blair County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 58,360 | $54,924 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,828 | $65,648 | 0.91 |
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 Blair County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Blair County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide.
Blair County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Blair County, Clearfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blair County | 119,541 | ▼ 0.1% | 252 MW | — | — | — |
| Bedford County | 47,480 | ▲ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Cambria County | 128,968 | ▼ 7.1% | 1,834 MW | — | — | — |
| Centre County | 157,393 | ▲ 1.7% | 28 MW | 162 MW | — | — |
| Clearfield County | 78,100 | ▼ 3.0% | 672 MW | 667 MW | 1 | — |
| Huntingdon County | 43,001 | ▲ 0.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Blair County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Blair County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Blair County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, REA Energy Coop Inc, Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Altoona, PA in?
Altoona is in Blair County, Pennsylvania. About 42,347 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Logan Township, PA in?
Logan Township is in Blair County, Pennsylvania. About 12,147 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Blair County?
5 operating plants with 252 MW of capacity. The largest is Sandy Ridge Wind 2, LLC (88 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Blair County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Blair County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clearfield County.
Is Blair County adding jobs?
Employers counted 58,360 jobs in 2025 against 58,441 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,501 to 2,828.
Does Blair County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Blair County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.