Dauphin County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lower Paxton Township, Harrisburg and Susquehanna Township
The data center boom is not abstract in Dauphin County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Dauphin County. Dauphin County is home to Lower Paxton Township, Harrisburg, Susquehanna Township and Swatara Township. 2 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Middle Road Solar Partners LLC (solar). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 6,530, up 14.7% since 2019. 48 MW has retired here since 2019, including TalenEnergy Martins Creek LLC Harrisburg (petroleum, 48 MW, 2022).
Cities and towns in Dauphin County
Dauphin County is home to Lower Paxton Township, Harrisburg, Susquehanna Township and Swatara Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bressler, Colonial Park, Enhaut, Hershey, Lawnton, Lenkerville, Linglestown, Oberlin, Palmdale, Paxtonia, Progress, Rutherford, Skyline View, Union Deposit, Wiconsico.
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 Dauphin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 286,694 | 293,351 | ▲ 2.3% | 14th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 186,631 | 190,394 | ▲ 2.0% | 14th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $56,756 | $69,570 | ▲ 22.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,692 | 6,530 | ▲ 14.7% | 12th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 904 | 950 | ▲ 5.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 246 | 134 | ▼ 45.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.1% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 48 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 31st of 31 by size |
Its power plants have 1,018 MW of capacity, 96% of it nuclear. Electrical contractors employ 950, up 5.1% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $95,318 a year. Employers here counted 190,394 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Dauphin 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 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 293,351 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Dauphin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −48 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dauphin 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% |
| Borough of Middletown - (PA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Borough of Royalton - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 981 MW | 96% |
| Other technologies | 24 MW | 2% |
| Natural gas | 14 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crane Clean Energy Center | Constellation Nuclear | Nuclear | 981 MW | 1974 |
| Harrisburg Facility | Harrisburg Authority | Other technologies | 24 MW | 2006 |
| Paxton Creek Cogeneration | Energy Center Paxton LLC | Natural gas | 13 MW | 1986 |
| Phoenix Contact - CCHP Plant | Phoenix Contact Services, Inc | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Road Solar Partners | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Middle Road Solar Partners LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| TalenEnergy Martins Creek LLC Harrisburg | Petroleum | 48 MW | 2022 |
The Dauphin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 190,394 | $69,570 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,530 | $87,505 | 0.65 |
| Electrical contractors | 950 | $95,318 | 0.69 |
| Data processing and hosting | 134 | $84,068 | 0.23 |
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 Dauphin County
2 data centers in Dauphin County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Dauphin County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Dauphin County, York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dauphin County | 293,351 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,018 MW | 2 MW | 2 | — |
| Cumberland County | 277,270 | ▲ 1.0% | 74 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Juniata County | 23,403 | ▼ 9.6% | 20 MW | 83 MW | — | — |
| Lancaster County | 563,159 | ▲ 3.7% | 1,815 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Lebanon County | 146,380 | ▲ 4.1% | 784 MW | — | — | — |
| Northumberland County | 89,920 | ▼ 2.5% | 132 MW | 35 MW | — | — |
| Perry County | 46,806 | ▲ 5.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Schuylkill County | 145,085 | ▲ 1.1% | 363 MW | — | — | — |
| York County | 473,197 | ▲ 1.3% | 6,218 MW | 157 MW | 1 | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Dauphin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania?
4 utilities have service territory in Dauphin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, PPL Electric Utilities Corp, Borough of Middletown - (PA), Borough of Royalton - (PA). The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lower Paxton Township, PA in?
Lower Paxton Township is in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. About 55,564 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Harrisburg, PA in?
Harrisburg is in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. About 50,522 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Susquehanna Township, PA in?
Susquehanna Township is in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. About 28,434 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dauphin County?
4 operating plants with 1,018 MW of capacity. The largest is Crane Clean Energy Center (981 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Dauphin County?
2 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Middle Road Solar Partners LLC.
Are there data centers in Dauphin County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Dauphin County.
Is Dauphin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 190,394 jobs in 2025 against 186,631 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,692 to 6,530.
Does Dauphin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dauphin County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.