Cambria County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Johnstown, Richland Township and Cambria Township
Cambria County hosts some of the generating capacity Pennsylvania runs on. Cambria County is home to Johnstown, Richland Township, Cambria Township and Adams Township. 1,411 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Construction employs 1,574, down 23.0% since 2019. Next door, Indiana County has 2 data centers and 4,396 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,834 MW of capacity, 65% of it natural gas, the 10th largest fleet in Pennsylvania.
Cities and towns in Cambria County
Cambria County is home to Johnstown, Richland Township, Cambria Township and Adams Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beaverdale, Belmont, Blandburg, Colver, Dunlo, Elim, Mundys Corner, Oakland, Revloc, Riverside, Salix, Sidman, Spring Hill, St. Michael, University of Pittsburgh Johnstown, Vinco, Westwood.
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 Cambria County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 133,200 | 128,968 | ▼ 3.2% | 26th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50,523 | 46,956 | ▼ 7.1% | 57th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,733 | $52,226 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,045 | 1,574 | ▼ 23.0% | 59th of 62 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 198 | 165 | ▼ 16.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,411 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 98 MW | — |
98 MW has retired here since 2019, including Cambria Cogen (coal, 98 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 46,956 jobs in 2025, down 7.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Cambria 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. 128,968 people live here, down 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Cambria County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,313 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cambria 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% |
| Borough of East Conemaugh | — | — | — | — | — |
| Borough of Summerhill - (PA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| United Electric Coop, Inc - (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 | 1,197 MW | 65% |
| Wind | 361 MW | 20% |
| Coal | 176 MW | 10% |
| Solar | 100 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPV Fairview Energy Center | CPV Fairview, LLC | Natural gas | 1,197 MW | 2019 |
| Colver Green Energy | Inter-Power/AhlCon Partners, L.P. | Coal | 118 MW | 1995 |
| CPV Rogue's Wind, LLC | CPV Rogue's Wind, LLC | Wind | 114 MW | 2026 |
| CPV Maple Hill Solar | CPV Maple Hill Solar, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2023 |
| Allegheny Ridge Wind Farm | Leeward Asset Management, LLC | Wind | 80 MW | 2007 |
| Highland North Wind Farm | Exus Pennsylvania Wind Holdings | Wind | 75 MW | 2012 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cambria Cogen | Coal | 98 MW | 2019 |
The Cambria County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 46,956 | $52,226 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,574 | $67,297 | 0.63 |
| Power and communication line construction | 34 | $72,121 | 0.45 |
| Electric utilities | 165 | $122,869 | 1.30 |
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 Cambria County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cambria County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide.
Cambria County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cambria County, Indiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cambria County | 128,968 | ▼ 7.1% | 1,834 MW | — | — | — |
| Bedford County | 47,480 | ▲ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Blair County | 119,541 | ▼ 0.1% | 252 MW | — | — | — |
| Clearfield County | 78,100 | ▼ 3.0% | 672 MW | 667 MW | 1 | — |
| Indiana County | 82,878 | ▼ 6.3% | 2,572 MW | 4,396 MW | 2 | — |
| Somerset County | 72,004 | ▼ 4.3% | 443 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Westmoreland County | 349,324 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,166 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Cambria County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cambria County, Pennsylvania?
5 utilities have service territory in Cambria County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, REA Energy Coop Inc, Borough of East Conemaugh, Borough of Summerhill - (PA). The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Johnstown, PA in?
Johnstown is in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. About 17,654 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Richland Township, PA in?
Richland Township is in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. About 11,936 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cambria County?
9 operating plants with 1,834 MW of capacity. The largest is CPV Fairview Energy Center (1,197 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cambria County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cambria County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Indiana County.
Is Cambria County adding jobs?
Employers counted 46,956 jobs in 2025 against 50,523 in 2019 (-7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,045 to 1,574.
Does Cambria County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cambria County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.