Centre County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to State College, Ferguson Township and Patton Township
Centre County is a generation frontier for Pennsylvania. Centre County is home to State College, Ferguson Township, Patton Township and College Township. 162 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by MPG Solar, LLC (solar), the 4th largest pipeline among Pennsylvania's counties. 14 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Construction employs 3,040, up 0.2% since 2019. Its power plants have 28 MW of capacity, 76% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Centre County
Centre County is home to State College, Ferguson Township, Patton Township and College Township.
And 11 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aaronsburg, Baileyville, Blanchard, Boalsburg, Casanova, Clarence, Coburn, Continental Courts, Eagle Creek, Eagleville, Holters Crossing, Houserville, Hublersburg, Jacksonville, Julian, Lemont, Madisonburg, Mingoville, Monument, Moose Run, Moshannon, Mount Eagle, Nittany, North Philipsburg, Orviston, Park Forest Village, Peru, Pine Glen, Pine Grove Mills, Pleasant Gap, Potters Mills, Ramblewood, Rebersburg, Runville, Sandy Ridge, Snydertown, South Philipsburg, Spring Mills, Stormstown, Toftrees and 3 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 Centre County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 158,035 | 157,393 | ▼ 0.4% | 23rd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 68,169 | 69,346 | ▲ 1.7% | 16th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,597 | $65,553 | ▲ 24.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,033 | 3,040 | ▲ 0.2% | 38th of 62 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 65 | 69 | ▲ 6.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 14 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 162 MW | 589% of today's fleet | 4th of 31 by size |
Employers here counted 69,346 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Centre County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 157,393 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Centre County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +14 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Centre 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% |
| Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,180 | 14.87¢ | 27% |
| 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 21 MW | 76% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 24% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Campus Steam Plant | Penn State University | Natural gas | 14 MW | 2017 |
| East Campus Steam Plant | Penn State University | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2011 |
| Mingoville PV I | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2026 |
| Mingoville PV II | SoCore Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2026 |
| University Park Solar | SS PA II PSU LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPG Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 162 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | MPG Solar, LLC |
The Centre County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 69,346 | $65,553 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,040 | $78,757 | 0.83 |
| Data processing and hosting | 69 | $111,369 | 0.32 |
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 Centre County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Centre County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Union County.
Centre County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Centre 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centre County | 157,393 | ▲ 1.7% | 28 MW | 162 MW | — | — |
| Blair County | 119,541 | ▼ 0.1% | 252 MW | — | — | — |
| Clearfield County | 78,100 | ▼ 3.0% | 672 MW | 667 MW | 1 | — |
| Clinton County | 37,870 | ▼ 4.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Huntingdon County | 43,001 | ▲ 0.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Mifflin County | 46,127 | ▲ 6.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County | 42,313 | ▼ 1.6% | 13 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Pennsylvania
Centre County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Centre County, Pennsylvania?
4 utilities have service territory in Centre County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, PPL Electric Utilities Corp, Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc, United Electric Coop, Inc - (PA). The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is State College, PA in?
State College is in Centre County, Pennsylvania. About 40,844 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Ferguson Township, PA in?
Ferguson Township is in Centre County, Pennsylvania. About 18,813 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Patton Township, PA in?
Patton Township is in Centre County, Pennsylvania. About 15,623 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Centre County?
5 operating plants with 28 MW of capacity. The largest is West Campus Steam Plant (14 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Centre County?
162 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is MPG Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Centre County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Centre County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Clearfield County.
Is Centre County adding jobs?
Employers counted 69,346 jobs in 2025 against 68,169 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,033 to 3,040.
Does Centre County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Centre County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.