Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hempfield Township, North Huntingdon Township and Unity Township
Westmoreland County hosts some of the generating capacity Pennsylvania runs on. Westmoreland County is home to Hempfield Township, North Huntingdon Township, Unity Township and Penn Township. 4 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by CVE US PA New Alexandria 185 LLC (solar). 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Indiana County has 2 data centers and 4,396 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,166 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas. Construction employs 7,000, down 3.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County is home to Hempfield Township, North Huntingdon Township, Unity Township and Penn Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bradenville, Calumet, Collinsburg, Crabtree, Fellsburg, Grapeville, Harrison City, Herminie, Hostetter, Lawson Heights, Level Green, Loyalhanna, Lynnwood-Pricedale, Mammoth, Millwood, Norvelt, Slickville, St. Vincent College, Webster, Wyano, Yukon.
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 Westmoreland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 354,270 | 349,324 | ▼ 1.4% | 11th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 134,010 | 128,972 | ▼ 3.8% | 41st of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,679 | $58,651 | ▲ 25.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,214 | 7,000 | ▼ 3.0% | 44th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 733 | 730 | ▼ 0.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 54 | 30 | ▼ 44.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 17 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 4 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 25th of 31 by size |
17 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 128,972 jobs in 2025, down 3.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 730, down 0.4% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $83,790 a year. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Westmoreland 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. 349,324 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Westmoreland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +17 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Westmoreland 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% |
| Duquesne Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 550,405 | 21.74¢ | 24% |
| REA Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,932 | 14.53¢ | 17% |
| Somerset Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,322 | 13.96¢ | 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,134 MW | 97% |
| Solar | 17 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 15 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station | Tenaska Pennsylvania Partners, LLC | Natural gas | 1,134 MW | 2018 |
| Conemaugh Hydro Plant | Pennsylvania Renewable Resources | Hydro | 15 MW | 1989 |
| Spring Lane | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 14 MW | 2024 |
| Hunker Solar River, LLC | SolRiver Capital LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Alexandria - PA 0185 (Weimer) | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US PA New Alexandria 185 LLC |
| New Alexandria - PA 0363 (Weimer North) | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US PA New Alexandria 363 LLC |
The Westmoreland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 128,972 | $58,651 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,000 | $73,614 | 1.02 |
| Electrical contractors | 730 | $83,790 | 0.78 |
| Data processing and hosting | 30 | $100,775 | 0.07 |
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 Westmoreland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Westmoreland County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Allegheny County, Butler County.
Westmoreland County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Westmoreland County, Indiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westmoreland County | 349,324 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,166 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Allegheny County | 1,225,035 | ▼ 4.7% | 1,127 MW | 77 MW | 22 | 1 |
| Armstrong County | 63,698 | ▼ 5.4% | 2,627 MW | 18 MW | 1 | — |
| Butler County | 200,169 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | 3 | 3 |
| Cambria County | 128,968 | ▼ 7.1% | 1,834 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 123,021 | ▼ 4.7% | 932 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Indiana County | 82,878 | ▼ 6.3% | 2,572 MW | 4,396 MW | 2 | — |
| Somerset County | 72,004 | ▼ 4.3% | 443 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 210,802 | ▲ 1.1% | 5 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Westmoreland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania?
4 utilities have service territory in Westmoreland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Duquesne Light Co, REA Energy Coop Inc, Somerset Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Hempfield Township, PA in?
Hempfield Township is in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. About 41,421 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is North Huntingdon Township, PA in?
North Huntingdon Township is in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. About 31,697 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Unity Township, PA in?
Unity Township is in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. About 21,196 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Westmoreland County?
4 operating plants with 1,166 MW of capacity. The largest is Tenaska Westmoreland Generating Station (1,134 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Westmoreland County?
4 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is CVE US PA New Alexandria 185 LLC.
Are there data centers in Westmoreland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Westmoreland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Indiana County.
Is Westmoreland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 128,972 jobs in 2025 against 134,010 in 2019 (-3.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,214 to 7,000.
Does Westmoreland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Westmoreland County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.