York County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to York, York Township and Springettsbury Township
York County hosts some of the generating capacity Pennsylvania runs on. Its power plants have 6,218 MW of capacity, 50% of it natural gas, the largest fleet in Pennsylvania. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in York County. Owners plan to retire 1,616 MW more by 2035, led by Brunner Island in 2035. York County is home to York, York Township, Springettsbury Township and Dover Township. 157 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Strinestown Solar, LLC (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among Pennsylvania's counties. 2 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in York County
York County is home to York, York Township, Springettsbury Township and Dover Township.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): East York, Emigsville, Grantley, New Market, Parkville, Pennville, Pleasureville, Queens Gate, Shiloh, Spry, Stonybrook, Susquehanna Trails, Tyler Run, Valley Green, Valley View, Weigelstown, Yorklyn.
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 York County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 456,725 | 473,197 | ▲ 3.6% | 8th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 180,518 | 182,806 | ▲ 1.3% | 19th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,898 | $65,071 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,163 | 11,738 | ▲ 5.2% | 28th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,269 | 1,474 | ▲ 16.2% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 470 | 381 | ▼ 18.9% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 942 | 970 | ▲ 3.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 949 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 52 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 157 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 5th of 31 by size |
949 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Next door, Lancaster County has 6 data centers. Construction employs 11,738, up 5.2% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,474, up 16.2% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $103,819 a year. 52 MW has retired here since 2019, including York Generation Company LLC (natural gas, 52 MW, 2021). FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving York County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Employers here counted 182,806 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 473,197 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020, 8th of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Who powers York County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +897 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in York 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% |
| PECO Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,535,818 | 16.16¢ | 19% |
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,295,883 | 16.99¢ | 19% |
| Adams Electric Cooperative Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,231 | 14.42¢ | 15% |
| Borough of Goldsboro - (PA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Borough of Lewisberry - (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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 3,084 MW | 50% |
| Nuclear | 2,876 MW | 46% |
| Other technologies | 76 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 63 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 54 MW | 1% |
| Coal | 46 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 20 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peach Bottom | Constellation Nuclear | Nuclear | 2,876 MW | 1974 |
| Brunner Island | Brunner Island LLC | Natural gas | 1,616 MW | 1961 |
| York Energy Center | Calpine Mid-Merit LLC | Natural gas | 1,449 MW | 2011 |
| Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC - Spring | Pixelle Specialty Solutions LLC - (PA) | Natural gas | 104 MW | 1948 |
| Tolna | Tolna Power, LLC | Petroleum | 54 MW | 1972 |
| York County Resource Recovery | York County Solid W & R Auth - (PA) | Other technologies | 36 MW | 1989 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strinestown Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Strinestown Solar, LLC |
| Dover Solar (PA) | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Dover Solar, LLC (PA) |
| New Freedom Solar Partners | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | New Freedom Solar Partners LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Generation Company LLC | Natural gas | 52 MW | 2021 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunner Island | Natural gas | 1,616 MW | 2035 |
The York County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 182,806 | $65,071 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 11,738 | $86,299 | 1.21 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,474 | $103,819 | 1.12 |
| Power and communication line construction | 381 | $93,044 | 1.29 |
| Electric utilities | 970 | $217,093 | 1.96 |
| Data processing and hosting | 32 | $108,035 | 0.06 |
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 York County
1 data center in York County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
York County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border York County, Lancaster 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County | 473,197 | ▲ 1.3% | 6,218 MW | 157 MW | 1 | — |
| Adams County | 107,594 | ▼ 5.4% | 1,088 MW | — | — | — |
| Baltimore County MD | 847,650 | ▼ 2.9% | 47 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Carroll County MD | 176,677 | ▲ 1.3% | 16 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cumberland County | 277,270 | ▲ 1.0% | 74 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dauphin County | 293,351 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,018 MW | 2 MW | 2 | — |
| Harford County MD | 266,446 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,090 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
| Lancaster County | 563,159 | ▲ 3.7% | 1,815 MW | — | 6 | — |
More of Pennsylvania
York County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in York County, Pennsylvania?
6 utilities have service territory in York County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, PECO Energy Co, PPL Electric Utilities Corp, Adams Electric Cooperative Inc. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is York, PA in?
York is in York County, Pennsylvania. About 45,342 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is York Township, PA in?
York Township is in York County, Pennsylvania. About 31,479 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Springettsbury Township, PA in?
Springettsbury Township is in York County, Pennsylvania. About 27,617 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in York County?
11 operating plants with 6,218 MW of capacity. The largest is Peach Bottom (2,876 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in York County?
157 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Strinestown Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in York County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in York County.
Is York County adding jobs?
Employers counted 182,806 jobs in 2025 against 180,518 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 11,163 to 11,738.
Does York County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for York County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.