Juniata County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fayette Township, Fermanagh Township and Walker Township
New generation is lining up in Juniata County. Juniata County is home to Fayette Township, Fermanagh Township, Walker Township and Monroe Township. Construction employs 344, up 25.5% since 2019. 83 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by MN8 Energy LLC (solar), the 8th largest pipeline among Pennsylvania's counties. 83 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 6,183 jobs in 2025, down 9.6% from 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Juniata County
Juniata County is home to Fayette Township, Fermanagh Township, Walker Township and Monroe Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): East Salem, East Waterford, McAlisterville, Mexico, Richfield.
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 Juniata County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,476 | 23,403 | ▼ 0.3% | 61st of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,842 | 6,183 | ▼ 9.6% | 60th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,708 | $48,647 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 274 | 344 | ▲ 25.5% | 5th of 62 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 83 MW | 415% of today's fleet | 8th of 31 by size |
Its power plants have 20 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Juniata 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. 23,403 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Juniata County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Juniata 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% |
| Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,180 | 14.87¢ | 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 20 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottontail Solar 5 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | MN8 Energy LLC |
| Monroe Route 35 Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Dimension Energy LLC |
The Juniata County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,183 | $48,647 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 344 | $60,295 | 1.05 |
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 Juniata County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Juniata County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide.
Juniata County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Juniata County, Dauphin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juniata County | 23,403 | ▼ 9.6% | 20 MW | 83 MW | — | — |
| Dauphin County | 293,351 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,018 MW | 2 MW | 2 | — |
| Franklin County | 160,652 | ▲ 2.4% | 518 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Huntingdon County | 43,001 | ▲ 0.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Mifflin County | 46,127 | ▲ 6.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Northumberland County | 89,920 | ▼ 2.5% | 132 MW | 35 MW | — | — |
| Perry County | 46,806 | ▲ 5.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Snyder County | 39,655 | ▼ 1.6% | 1,270 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Juniata County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Juniata County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Juniata County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, PPL Electric Utilities Corp, Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Juniata County?
1 operating plant with 20 MW of capacity. The largest is Cottontail Solar 5 (20 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Juniata County?
83 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 83 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is MN8 Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in Juniata County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Juniata County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dauphin County.
Is Juniata County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,183 jobs in 2025 against 6,842 in 2019 (-9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 274 to 344.
Does Juniata County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Juniata County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.