Fayette County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to North Union Township, South Union Township and Uniontown
Fayette County hosts some of the generating capacity Pennsylvania runs on. Fayette County is home to North Union Township, South Union Township, Uniontown and Connellsville. 17 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Rye Development (other technologies). Construction employs 1,317, down 8.5% since 2019. Its power plants have 932 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas. 28 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Fayette County
Fayette County is home to North Union Township, South Union Township, Uniontown and Connellsville.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allison, Arnold City, Bear Rocks, Buffington, Chalkhill, Deer Lake, East Uniontown, Edenborn, Fairhope, Farmington, Grindstone, Hiller, Hopwood, Leith-Hatfield, Lemont Furnace, Lynnwood-Pricedale, Naomi, New Salem, Oliver, Republic, Ronco, Rowes Run, Smock, South Uniontown, Star Junction.
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 Fayette County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 128,585 | 123,021 | ▼ 4.3% | 27th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39,653 | 37,808 | ▼ 4.7% | 48th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,812 | $53,190 | ▲ 27.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,439 | 1,317 | ▼ 8.5% | 52nd of 62 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 123 | 114 | ▼ 7.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.8% | 5.2% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 28 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 17 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 17th of 31 by size |
Employers here counted 37,808 jobs in 2025, down 4.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 5.8% in 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Fayette County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. 123,021 people live here, down 4.3% since 2020.
Who powers Fayette County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +28 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fayette 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% |
| Somerset Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,322 | 13.96¢ | 27% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 802 MW | 86% |
| Hydro | 51 MW | 5% |
| Wind | 50 MW | 5% |
| Solar | 28 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette Energy Facility | Fayette Power Company, LLC | Natural gas | 715 MW | 2003 |
| Gans | Gans Energy LLC | Natural gas | 88 MW | 2000 |
| Lake Lynn Hydro Station | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 51 MW | 1926 |
| South Chestnut LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 50 MW | 2012 |
| Gans Solar | Gans Solar, LLC | Solar | 14 MW | 2024 |
| Pechin Solar | Pechin Solar, LLC | Solar | 14 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 6 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Maxwell L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 6 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Point Marion L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Point Marion L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
The Fayette County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 37,808 | $53,190 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,317 | $63,160 | 0.66 |
| Electric utilities | 114 | $161,252 | 1.11 |
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 Fayette County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fayette County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide.
Fayette County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Fayette County, Monongalia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 123,021 | ▼ 4.7% | 932 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Garrett County MD | 28,370 | ● 0.0% | 414 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 33,885 | ▼ 9.2% | 665 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
| Monongalia County WV | 107,991 | ▲ 5.2% | 2,047 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Preston County WV | 34,004 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Somerset County | 72,004 | ▼ 4.3% | 443 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 210,802 | ▲ 1.1% | 5 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
| Westmoreland County | 349,324 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,166 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Fayette County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fayette County, Pennsylvania?
2 utilities have service territory in Fayette County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Somerset Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is North Union Township, PA in?
North Union Township is in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. About 11,368 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is South Union Township, PA in?
South Union Township is in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. About 10,300 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Fayette County?
6 operating plants with 932 MW of capacity. The largest is Fayette Energy Facility (715 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Fayette County?
17 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Rye Development.
Are there data centers in Fayette County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fayette County.
Is Fayette County adding jobs?
Employers counted 37,808 jobs in 2025 against 39,653 in 2019 (-4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,439 to 1,317.
Does Fayette County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fayette County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.