Venango County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oil City, Cranberry Township and Franklin
Venango 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. Venango County is home to Oil City, Cranberry Township, Franklin and Sugarcreek. Next door, Butler County has 3 data centers. Construction employs 360, down 14.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 15,993 jobs in 2025, down 10.1% from 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Venango County
Venango County is home to Oil City, Cranberry Township, Franklin and Sugarcreek.
And 7 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hannasville, Hasson Heights, Kennerdell, Seneca, Woodland 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 Venango County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 50,370 | 49,346 | ▼ 2.0% | 44th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,791 | 15,993 | ▼ 10.1% | 62nd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,515 | $51,335 | ▲ 23.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 421 | 360 | ▼ 14.5% | 55th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25 | 24 | ▼ 4.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.3% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 409 MW of capacity, 72% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 24, down 4.0% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $42,501 a year. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Venango County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. 49,346 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Venango County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Venango 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% |
| Central Electric Coop, Inc - (PA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,629 | 17.03¢ | 22% |
| Northwestern Rural E C A, Inc - (PA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,190 | 15.58¢ | 17% |
| Warren Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 294 MW | 72% |
| Coal | 95 MW | 23% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handsome Lake Energy LLC | Handsome Lake Energy LLC | Natural gas | 294 MW | 2001 |
| Scrubgrass Reclamation CO. LP. | Scrubgrass Reclamation CO. LP. | Coal | 95 MW | 1993 |
| Cardinal Solar, LLC | Cardinal Solar, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2025 |
The Venango County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,993 | $51,335 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 360 | $49,967 | 0.42 |
| Electrical contractors | 24 | $42,501 | 0.21 |
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 Venango County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Venango County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Butler County.
Venango County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Venango County, Butler 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venango County | 49,346 | ▼ 10.1% | 409 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 200,169 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Clarion County | 36,680 | ▼ 4.6% | 30 MW | 5 MW | 1 | — |
| Crawford County | 81,792 | ▼ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Forest County | 6,614 | ▼ 4.1% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Mercer County | 107,860 | ▼ 6.6% | 4 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Warren County | 37,038 | ▼ 10.1% | 491 MW | — | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Venango County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Venango County, Pennsylvania?
4 utilities have service territory in Venango County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Central Electric Coop, Inc - (PA), Northwestern Rural E C A, Inc - (PA), Warren Electric Coop Inc. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Venango County?
3 operating plants with 409 MW of capacity. The largest is Handsome Lake Energy LLC (294 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Venango County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Venango County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Butler County.
Is Venango County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,993 jobs in 2025 against 17,791 in 2019 (-10.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 421 to 360.
Does Venango County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Venango County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.