Clearfield County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sandy Township, Lawrence Township and DuBois
The data center boom is not abstract in Clearfield County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Clearfield County. Electrical contractors employ 128, up 77.8% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $67,074 a year. Clearfield County is home to Sandy Township, Lawrence Township, DuBois and Clearfield. 667 MW of new generation is planned here across 8 units, led by Mineral Basin Solar Power, LLC (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Pennsylvania's counties. 15 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Clearfield County
Clearfield County is home to Sandy Township, Lawrence Township, DuBois and Clearfield.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allport, Bigler, Grassflat, Hawk Run, Hyde, Kylertown, Morrisdale, Oklahoma, Plymptonville, Sandy, Treasure Lake, West Decatur.
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 Clearfield County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 80,427 | 78,100 | ▼ 2.9% | 36th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 30,137 | 29,242 | ▼ 3.0% | 37th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,395 | $53,602 | ▲ 29.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 761 | 729 | ▼ 4.2% | 47th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 72 | 128 | ▲ 77.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.1% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 40 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 667 MW | 99% of today's fleet | 2nd of 31 by size |
40 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 672 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas. Construction employs 729, down 4.2% since 2019. Employers here counted 29,242 jobs in 2025, down 3.0% from 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Clearfield 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. 78,100 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Clearfield County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +40 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clearfield 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% |
| 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 626 MW | 93% |
| Solar | 40 MW | 6% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawville | Shawville Power, LLC | Natural gas | 632 MW | 1954 |
| CL-Viaduct LLC | BCD Project Holdings 1, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| UN-School House LLC | BCD Project Holdings 1, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 8
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral Basin Solar Power | Solar Photovoltaic | 402 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Mineral Basin Solar Power, LLC |
| Moonlight Flats Solar Power 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Moonlight Flats Solar Power, LLC |
| Bigler - PA 0409 (Flango 1) | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US PA Bigler 409 LLC |
| Unity - PA 0385 (Soccerhound) | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US PA Latrobe 385 LLC |
| Bigler - PA 0437 (Flango 3) | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US PA Bigler 437 LLC |
| Bigler - PA 0436 (Flango 2) | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | CVE US PA Bigler 436 LLC |
| Bigler - PA 0438 (Flango 4) | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US PA Bigler 438 LLC |
| Latrobe - PA 0408 (Soccerhound B) | Solar Photovoltaic | 1 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US PA Latrobe 408 LLC |
The Clearfield County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 29,242 | $53,602 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 729 | $63,973 | 0.47 |
| Electrical contractors | 128 | $67,074 | 0.61 |
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 Clearfield County
1 data center in Clearfield County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Clearfield County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Clearfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearfield County | 78,100 | ▼ 3.0% | 672 MW | 667 MW | 1 | — |
| Blair County | 119,541 | ▼ 0.1% | 252 MW | — | — | — |
| Cambria County | 128,968 | ▼ 7.1% | 1,834 MW | — | — | — |
| Cameron County | 4,211 | ▼ 23.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Centre County | 157,393 | ▲ 1.7% | 28 MW | 162 MW | — | — |
| Clinton County | 37,870 | ▼ 4.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Elk County | 29,926 | ▼ 10.4% | 54 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Indiana County | 82,878 | ▼ 6.3% | 2,572 MW | 4,396 MW | 2 | — |
| Jefferson County | 43,255 | ▼ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Clearfield County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Clearfield County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, REA Energy 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 Sandy Township, PA in?
Sandy Township is in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. About 11,628 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Clearfield County?
3 operating plants with 672 MW of capacity. The largest is Shawville (632 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Clearfield County?
667 MW across 8 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 15 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Mineral Basin Solar Power, LLC.
Are there data centers in Clearfield County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Clearfield County.
Is Clearfield County adding jobs?
Employers counted 29,242 jobs in 2025 against 30,137 in 2019 (-3.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 761 to 729.
Does Clearfield County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clearfield County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.