Somerset County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Somerset Township, Conemaugh Township and Somerset
No data center or power plant project is on record in Somerset County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Somerset County is home to Somerset Township, Conemaugh Township, Somerset and Windber. 15 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Stony Creek Solar, LLC (solar). Construction employs 1,084, down 5.3% since 2019. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Glades Pike Generation Plant (other technologies, 6 MW, 2026). 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Somerset County
Somerset County is home to Somerset Township, Conemaugh Township, Somerset and Windber.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cairnbrook, Davidsville, Edie, Friedens, Jerome.
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 Somerset County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 73,994 | 72,004 | ▼ 2.7% | 37th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,248 | 23,200 | ▼ 4.3% | 46th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,556 | $52,110 | ▲ 25.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,145 | 1,084 | ▼ 5.3% | 49th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 96 | 99 | ▲ 3.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73 | 87 | ▲ 19.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 15 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 18th of 31 by size |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. Its power plants have 443 MW of capacity, 87% of it wind. Employers here counted 23,200 jobs in 2025, down 4.3% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 99, up 3.1% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $57,861 a year. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Somerset 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. 72,004 people live here, down 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Somerset County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Somerset 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% |
| Bedford Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,837 | 14.55¢ | 14% |
| Borough of Berlin - (PA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hooversville Boro Elec Lgt Co | — | — | — | — | — |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 388 MW | 87% |
| Battery storage | 28 MW | 6% |
| Solar | 15 MW | 3% |
| Hydro | 12 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Ridges Wind Farm | Exus Pennsylvania Wind Holdings | Wind | 139 MW | 2012 |
| Stony Creek Wind Farm LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 52 MW | 2009 |
| Ringer Hill Wind Farm, LLC | Ringer Hill Wind LLC | Wind | 40 MW | 2016 |
| Lookout Windpower LLC | Lookout Windpower, LLC | Wind | 38 MW | 2008 |
| Casselman Wind Power Project | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 34 MW | 2007 |
| Meyersdale Windpower, LLC | Sequitur Renewables, LLC | Wind | 30 MW | 2003 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Creek Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 15 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Stony Creek Solar, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glades Pike Generation Plant | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2026 |
The Somerset County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,200 | $52,110 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,084 | $65,194 | 0.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 99 | $57,861 | 0.59 |
| Electric utilities | 87 | $119,086 | 1.39 |
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 Somerset County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Somerset County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide.
Somerset County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Somerset County, Cambria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Somerset County | 72,004 | ▼ 4.3% | 443 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Allegany County MD | 66,848 | ▼ 8.2% | 75 MW | — | — | — |
| Bedford County | 47,480 | ▲ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Cambria County | 128,968 | ▼ 7.1% | 1,834 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 123,021 | ▼ 4.7% | 932 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Garrett County MD | 28,370 | ● 0.0% | 414 MW | — | — | — |
| Westmoreland County | 349,324 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,166 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Somerset County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Somerset County, Pennsylvania?
5 utilities have service territory in Somerset County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Somerset Rural Elec Coop, Inc, Bedford Rural Elec Coop, Inc, Borough of Berlin - (PA). The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Somerset Township, PA in?
Somerset Township is in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. About 11,645 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Somerset County?
13 operating plants with 443 MW of capacity. The largest is Twin Ridges Wind Farm (139 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Somerset County?
15 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Stony Creek Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Somerset County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Somerset County.
Is Somerset County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,200 jobs in 2025 against 24,248 in 2019 (-4.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,145 to 1,084.
Does Somerset County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Somerset County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.