Franklin County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chambersburg, Greene Township and Antrim Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Franklin County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Franklin County is home to Chambersburg, Greene Township, Antrim Township and Washington Township. 40 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Urban Grid Solar (solar). 6 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Frederick County, Maryland, has 4 data centers. Construction employs 2,505, up 14.2% since 2019. 379 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to Chambersburg, Greene Township, Antrim Township and Washington Township.
- Shippensburg also extends into Cumberland County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blue Ridge Summit, Fayetteville, Fort Loudon, Guilford, Marion, Pen Mar, Rouzerville, Scotland, State Line, Wayne Heights.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 155,938 | 160,652 | ▲ 3.0% | 22nd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 60,173 | 61,619 | ▲ 2.4% | 13th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,690 | $57,066 | ▲ 27.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,194 | 2,505 | ▲ 14.2% | 14th of 62 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 379 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 40 MW | 8% of today's fleet | 12th of 31 by size |
Its power plants have 518 MW of capacity, 73% of it solar. Employers here counted 61,619 jobs in 2025, up 2.4% from 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Franklin County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 160,652 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Franklin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +379 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Franklin 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% |
| Adams Electric Cooperative Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,231 | 14.42¢ | 15% |
| Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,180 | 14.87¢ | 27% |
| Borough of Chambersburg | Municipal | Bundled | 9,914 | 11.95¢ | 37% |
| Mont Alto Borough | — | — | — | — | — |
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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 379 MW | 73% |
| Natural gas | 119 MW | 23% |
| Other technologies | 21 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Cove Solar II | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 150 MW | 2023 |
| Aspen Road Solar | Urban Grid Solar | Solar | 100 MW | 2025 |
| Chambersburg | Chambersburg Energy, LLC | Natural gas | 88 MW | 2001 |
| Orchard Park | Borough of Chambersburg - (PA) | Natural gas | 24 MW | 2003 |
| Blairs Valley Solar Project | CleanChoice Energy | Solar | 20 MW | 2025 |
| Elk Hill Solar 1 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Creek Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 34 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Urban Grid Solar |
| Maple Ridge A | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | ENGIE Distributed Renewables Development LLC |
| Maple Ridge B | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | ENGIE Distributed Renewables Development LLC |
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 61,619 | $57,066 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,505 | $68,641 | 0.77 |
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 Franklin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Franklin County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Frederick County, Washington County.
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Franklin County, Adams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 160,652 | ▲ 2.4% | 518 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Adams County | 107,594 | ▼ 5.4% | 1,088 MW | — | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 277,270 | ▲ 1.0% | 74 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Frederick County MD | 302,883 | ▲ 1.7% | 87 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Fulton County | 14,483 | ▼ 9.2% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Huntingdon County | 43,001 | ▲ 0.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Juniata County | 23,403 | ▼ 9.6% | 20 MW | 83 MW | — | — |
| Perry County | 46,806 | ▲ 5.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County MD | 157,731 | ▲ 1.8% | 74 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Pennsylvania
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Pennsylvania?
5 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Adams Electric Cooperative Inc, Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc, Borough of Chambersburg. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Chambersburg, PA in?
Chambersburg is in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. About 23,376 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Greene Township, PA in?
Greene Township is in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. About 18,721 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Antrim Township, PA in?
Antrim Township is in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. About 16,481 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Franklin County?
14 operating plants with 518 MW of capacity. The largest is Great Cove Solar II (150 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Franklin County?
40 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 6 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Urban Grid Solar.
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Franklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Frederick County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 61,619 jobs in 2025 against 60,173 in 2019 (+2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,194 to 2,505.
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Franklin County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.