Carbon County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Penn Forest Township, Palmerton and Lehighton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Carbon County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Carbon County is home to Penn Forest Township, Palmerton, Lehighton and Towamensing Township. 60 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Cypress Creek Renewables (solar), the 10th largest pipeline among Pennsylvania's counties. Next door, Luzerne County has 5 data centers. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Carbon County
Carbon County is home to Penn Forest Township, Palmerton, Lehighton and Towamensing Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Albrightsville, Holiday Pocono, Indian Mountain Lake, Towamensing Trails, Tresckow, Weissport East.
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 Carbon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 64,765 | 65,868 | ▲ 1.7% | 39th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,171 | 16,376 | ▲ 1.3% | 18th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,383 | $46,181 | ▲ 23.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 4.3% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 60 MW | 50% of today's fleet | 10th of 31 by size |
Its power plants have 120 MW of capacity, 79% of it coal. PPL Electric Utilities Corp is the largest utility serving Carbon County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.99¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Employers here counted 16,376 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 65,868 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Carbon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +15 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carbon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,295,883 | 16.99¢ | 19% |
| Borough of Lehighton - (PA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Borough of Weatherly - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 94 MW | 79% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 17% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panther Creek Energy Facility | Panther Creek Power Operating, LLC | Coal | 94 MW | 1992 |
| PA Solar Park | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 10 MW | 2012 |
| PA Solar Park II | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 10 MW | 2020 |
| Weatherly(PA) RTO BTM | American Mun Power-Ohio, Inc | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mora Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 60 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
The Carbon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,376 | $46,181 | 1.00 |
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 Carbon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Carbon County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Luzerne County.
Carbon County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Carbon County, Luzerne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon County | 65,868 | ▲ 1.3% | 120 MW | 60 MW | — | — |
| Lehigh County | 384,383 | ▲ 4.3% | 8 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Luzerne County | 332,126 | ▼ 0.4% | 4,044 MW | 21 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Monroe County | 167,179 | ▼ 0.4% | 23 MW | — | — | — |
| Northampton County | 324,411 | ▲ 3.5% | 3,852 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Schuylkill County | 145,085 | ▲ 1.1% | 363 MW | — | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Carbon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carbon County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Carbon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PPL Electric Utilities Corp, Borough of Lehighton - (PA), Borough of Weatherly - (PA). The largest, PPL Electric Utilities Corp, charged residential customers 16.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Penn Forest Township, PA in?
Penn Forest Township is in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. About 10,434 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Carbon County?
4 operating plants with 120 MW of capacity. The largest is Panther Creek Energy Facility (94 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Carbon County?
60 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cypress Creek Renewables.
Are there data centers in Carbon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carbon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Luzerne County.
Is Carbon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,376 jobs in 2025 against 16,171 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Carbon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carbon County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.