Northumberland County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Coal Township, Sunbury and Shamokin
Northumberland County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Electrical contractors employ 138, up 74.7% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $55,499 a year. Northumberland County is home to Coal Township, Sunbury, Shamokin and Milton. 35 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Boyles Run Solar I, LLC (solar). Next door, Dauphin County has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Northumberland County
Northumberland County is home to Coal Township, Sunbury, Shamokin and Milton.
And 12 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Atlas, Dalmatia, Dewart, Edgewood, Elysburg, Fairview-Ferndale, Kapp Heights, Marshallton, Montandon, Ranshaw, Strong, Tharptown (Uniontown), Trevorton.
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 Northumberland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 91,544 | 89,920 | ▼ 1.8% | 32nd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27,700 | 26,997 | ▼ 2.5% | 35th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,201 | $54,239 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,068 | 1,104 | ▲ 3.4% | 30th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 79 | 138 | ▲ 74.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 4.0% | ▼ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 85 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 35 MW | 26% of today's fleet | 13th of 31 by size |
Construction employs 1,104, up 3.4% since 2019. 85 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 132 MW of capacity, 64% of it solar. Employers here counted 26,997 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. PPL Electric Utilities Corp is the largest utility serving Northumberland County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.99¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. 89,920 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Northumberland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +85 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Northumberland County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,295,883 | 16.99¢ | 19% |
| Citizens Electric Co - (PA) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,963 | 13.63¢ | 20% |
| Borough of Watsontown - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 85 MW | 64% |
| Coal | 47 MW | 36% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northumberland Solar | Northumberland Solar, LLC | Solar | 65 MW | 2025 |
| Foster Wheeler Mt Carmel Cogen | Mount Carmel Cogen Inc | Coal | 47 MW | 1990 |
| Cottontail Solar 4 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAI-Boyles Run-Phase I | Solar Photovoltaic | 16 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Boyles Run Solar I, LLC |
| BAI-Boyles Run-Phase 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 16 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Boyles Run Solar II, LLC |
| Delaware Conrath Road Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Dimension Energy LLC |
The Northumberland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,997 | $54,239 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,104 | $63,917 | 0.77 |
| Electrical contractors | 138 | $55,499 | 0.71 |
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 Northumberland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Northumberland County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Lycoming County, Montour County, Union County.
Northumberland County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Northumberland County, Montour 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northumberland County | 89,920 | ▼ 2.5% | 132 MW | 35 MW | — | — |
| Columbia County | 66,193 | ▼ 3.5% | — | 15 MW | — | — |
| Dauphin County | 293,351 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,018 MW | 2 MW | 2 | — |
| Juniata County | 23,403 | ▼ 9.6% | 20 MW | 83 MW | — | — |
| Lycoming County | 112,587 | ▼ 3.2% | 949 MW | 3 MW | — | 3 |
| Montour County | 17,868 | ▲ 8.9% | 1,758 MW | 3 MW | — | 1 |
| Perry County | 46,806 | ▲ 5.1% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Schuylkill County | 145,085 | ▲ 1.1% | 363 MW | — | — | — |
| Snyder County | 39,655 | ▼ 1.6% | 1,270 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Union County | 42,313 | ▼ 1.6% | 13 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Pennsylvania
Northumberland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania?
3 utilities have service territory in Northumberland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PPL Electric Utilities Corp, Citizens Electric Co - (PA), Borough of Watsontown - (PA). The largest, PPL Electric Utilities Corp, charged residential customers 16.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Northumberland County?
3 operating plants with 132 MW of capacity. The largest is Northumberland Solar (65 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Northumberland County?
35 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Boyles Run Solar I, LLC.
Are there data centers in Northumberland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Northumberland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dauphin County.
Is Northumberland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,997 jobs in 2025 against 27,700 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,068 to 1,104.
Does Northumberland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Northumberland County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.