Chester County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tredyffrin Township, West Goshen Township and West Whiteland Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Chester County. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Chester County. Chester County is home to Tredyffrin Township, West Goshen Township, West Whiteland Township and Phoenixville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Denial of Pennhurst data center conditional use”. 4 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Pennhurst data center (East Vincent Township). Construction employs 12,761, up 12.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Chester County
Chester County is home to Tredyffrin Township, West Goshen Township, West Whiteland Township and Phoenixville.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Berwyn, Caln, Chadds Ford, Chesterbrook, Cheyney University, Cochranville, Devon, Dilworthtown, Eagle, Eagleview, Exton, Frazer, Glenmoore, Hamorton, Hayti, Kenilworth, Kimberton, Lincoln University, Lionville, Marshallton, Nottingham, Paoli, Pomeroy, Pughtown, Sadsburyville, South Pottstown, Thorndale, Toughkenamon, Unionville, 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 Chester County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 534,858 | 557,116 | ▲ 4.2% | 7th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 252,900 | 253,659 | ▲ 0.3% | 24th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $72,529 | $90,775 | ▲ 25.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,394 | 12,761 | ▲ 12.0% | 17th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,616 | 1,616 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 602 | 1,299 | ▲ 115.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 65 MW of capacity, 86% of it petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 1,616, unchanged since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $106,501 a year. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Chester 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 253,659 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 557,116 people live here, up 4.2% since 2020, 7th of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population.
Who powers Chester County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chester 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% |
| PECO Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,535,818 | 16.16¢ | 19% |
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,295,883 | 16.99¢ | 19% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 56 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 10% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester Generating Station | Constellation Power, Inc | Petroleum | 56 MW | 1969 |
| SECCRA Community Landfill | Southeastern Chester County Refuse Auth | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2007 |
| Pickering Solar | Aqua America Inc | Solar | 2 MW | 2012 |
| Westtown School Solar | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Longwood Gardens | Ecogy Pennsylvania Systems LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2010 |
| Aqua Ingrams Mill | Aqua America Inc | Solar | 1 MW | 2009 |
The Chester County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 253,659 | $90,775 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 12,761 | $93,506 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,616 | $106,501 | 0.88 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,299 | $177,974 | 1.65 |
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 Chester County
1 data center in Chester County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denial of Pennhurst data center conditional use | In force | 2026-05 |
Delay Watchlist 4
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennhurst data center (East Vincent Township) | under appeal | — | ||
| East Whiteland data center (Chesco) | litigation active | — | ||
| North Coventry boutique data center (Envision Land Use) | cancelled | — | ||
| Chester County temporary data center moratorium | pending review | — |
Chester County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Chester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chester County | 557,116 | ▲ 0.3% | 65 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Berks County | 440,072 | ▼ 0.6% | 1,326 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Cecil County MD | 107,131 | ▲ 10.1% | 1,923 MW | 2 MW | — | — |
| Delaware County | 580,937 | ▼ 3.4% | 2,471 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Lancaster County | 563,159 | ▲ 3.7% | 1,815 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Montgomery County | 877,643 | ▼ 0.2% | 2,473 MW | 2 MW | 9 | 1 |
| New Castle County DE | 588,026 | ▲ 4.2% | 2,313 MW | 133 MW | 7 | 1 |
More of Pennsylvania
Chester County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chester County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Chester County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, PECO Energy Co, PPL Electric Utilities Corp. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Tredyffrin Township, PA in?
Tredyffrin Township is in Chester County, Pennsylvania. About 31,818 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is West Goshen Township, PA in?
West Goshen Township is in Chester County, Pennsylvania. About 24,224 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is West Whiteland Township, PA in?
West Whiteland Township is in Chester County, Pennsylvania. About 20,826 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Chester County?
7 operating plants with 65 MW of capacity. The largest is Chester Generating Station (56 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Chester County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Chester County.
Is Chester County adding jobs?
Employers counted 253,659 jobs in 2025 against 252,900 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 11,394 to 12,761.
Does Chester County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Chester County, 1 in force.