Power Supply Chain and Demand in Rhode Island
ISO-NE runs most of Rhode Island's grid. 718 MW of new generation is planned in Rhode Island, 715 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 7 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 29.22¢/kWh in 2026 through July, -1.1% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, and construction employment is +9.4% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 5 local moratoria or restrictions for Rhode Island across all statuses (4 in force) and 1 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is in the middle of the pack, with a few sharp signals worth watching. Planned generation equals 28% of the power plants Rhode Island runs today, one of the steepest build-outs in the country (10th). Commercial electricity sales, the class that includes data centers, are +1.6% year to date, 25th in the country. Electrical contractor jobs, the trade every data center, substation and plant needs first, grew 18.1% from 2019 to 2025, 28th in the country. The weak spot: data processing and hosting jobs, 2019 to 2025 ranks 36th of 46 at +21.4%.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 20.1k | 22.0k | ▲ 9.4% | 35th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,403 | 2,839 | ▲ 18.1% | 28th of 48 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 569 | 691 | ▲ 21.4% | 36th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 3.6% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 29.55¢ | 29.22¢ | ▼ 1.1% | 50th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 2.6 GW operating | 0.7 GW planned | 28% of fleet | 10th of 51 |
Where Rhode Island ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Among its neighbors, Rhode Island leads on planned generation vs. today's fleet (28%), ahead of Connecticut (6%).
County spotlight
Providence County holds the most data centers on record in Rhode Island (7), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +25.9% since 2019 to 1,492 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Washington County: 715 MW, led by Orsted Wind Power North America LLC (wind).
Where Rhode Island sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- ISO-NE
- Operating capacity
- 2.6 GW
- Planned generation
- 718 MW
- Under construction or built
- 715 MW
- Data centers identified
- 7
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 3.7%
- Residential price change
- -1.1%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Rhode Island, county by county
5 counties in Rhode Island. Planned generation sits in 2 of them, data centers stand in 1, and local measures are on record in 0. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 2
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence County | 7 | 4 MW | — | Hope Solar One, LLC | 1,492 | ▲ 25.9% | — | — | |
| Washington County | — | 715 MW | 715 MW | Orsted Wind Power North America LLC | — | — | — | — |
Every county in Rhode Island 5
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 6
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence | Providence County | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Smithfield | Providence County | — | 1 (1 in force) | 1 | Zoning ban on data centers in all districts In force | |
| Charlestown | Washington County + Washington County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Zoning ban on data centers and battery storage In force | |
| Cumberland | Providence County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Zoning ordinance listing data centers as a prohibited use In force | |
| Hopkinton | Washington County + Washington County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Zoning amendment prohibiting data centers, hearing set Proposed | |
| Westerly | Washington County + Washington County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Town moratorium on data centers through July 27, 2027 In force |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Rhode Island, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- Data center projects in forecast framework
- 2 projects
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 2.6 GW
- Planned, all types
- 718 MW
- Under construction or built
- 715 MW
- Planned gas
- 0 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 715 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 7
- Operators
- 3
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 0
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- +1.6%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.5%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 3.7% (-0.6 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +9.4%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- +1.2%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +18.1%
- Electrician median pay
- $74,090
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.13×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 29.22¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- -1.1%
- All-sector price change
- -0.4%
- Total retail sales change
- +0.7%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 3
- Local measures (in force)
- 5 (4)
- Watchlist projects
- 1
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- —
- Dedicated tax incentive
- None listed
Planned power plants in Rhode Island
Every planned generator in Rhode Island in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1 | 715 MW | 715 MW |
| Solar | 1 | 4 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revolution Wind | Washington | Offshore Wind Turbine | 715 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Orsted Wind Power North America LLC |
| Hope Solar One | Providence | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Hope Solar One, LLC |
What the Rhode Island build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Rhode Island, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orsted Wind Power North America LLC | 1 | 715 MW | 715 MW | Wind | 1 |
| Hope Solar One, LLC | 1 | 4 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Rhode Island footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names Rhode Island. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check
No planned unit of 50 MW or more in Rhode Island is still waiting on equipment orders.
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Rhode Island
7 data centers run by 3 operators are identified in Rhode Island. The full list by city is on the Rhode Island Data Center Map page. Utilities report 0 large customer projects here to EEI.
No large customer projects reported to EEI for this state.
The Rhode Island jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 515.1k | ▲ 0.1% | ▲ 1.9% (+9.8k) |
| Construction | 22.0k | ▼ 3.1% | ▲ 9.4% (+1.9k) |
| Manufacturing | 40.4k | ▲ 3.3% | ▲ 1.2% (+0.5k) |
| Mining and logging | 0.2k | ● 0.0% | ● 0.0% (+0.0k) |
| Retail trade | 46.0k | ▼ 0.7% | ▼ 3.8% (-1.8k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 569 | 691 | ▲ 21.4% | $196,406 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,403 | 2,839 | ▲ 18.1% | $85,224 |
| Power and communication line construction | — | not disclosed | — | — |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 1,268 | — | $139,715 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 9,260 | $34,860 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 13,310 | $31,490 | 0.90× |
| Retail salespersons | 12,830 | $34,860 | 1.00× |
| All occupations | 501,340 | $56,780 | 1.63× |
| Construction laborers | 2,110 | $57,240 | 1.64× |
| Welders | 2,300 | $50,580 | 1.45× |
| HVAC mechanics | 1,450 | $67,370 | 1.93× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 1,820 | $76,470 | 2.19× |
| Electricians | 2,420 | $74,090 | 2.13× |
| Power plant operators | 50 | $98,050 | 2.81× |
| Power-line installers | 120 | $104,620 | 3.00× |
| Construction supervisors | 2,060 | $98,590 | 2.83× |
| Electrical engineers | 670 | — | — |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Rhode Island
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in Rhode Island
State measures 3
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2776 | Data-center grid-cost and water guardrails | Failed / vetoed | 2026-06 | |
| H7695 | Establishes property, tangible, sales and use tax exemptions as incentives for the location of qualified data centers in Rhode Island. | Proposed | 2026-05 | |
| HB 6476 | AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- QUALIFIED DATA CENTERS LOCATION INCENTIVE (Establishes incentives for property sales and use tax exemptions) | Failed / vetoed | 2021-06 |
Delay Watchlist projects 1
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfield Data Center (Hanton City Investments) | Smithfield | litigation active | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (5) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Rhode Island Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Rhode Island's neighbors
Rhode Island power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Rhode Island?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 718 MW of planned generators in Rhode Island, 715 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is wind 100%, solar 0%. The largest single unit is Revolution Wind (715 MW, Orsted Wind Power North America LLC). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Rhode Island?
ISO-NE serves most of Rhode Island as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Are electricity prices rising in Rhode Island?
Residential electricity averaged 29.22¢/kWh from January to July 2026, -1.1% on a year earlier, one of the few jurisdictions where it fell. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed +1.6%.
What do electricians earn in Rhode Island?
The median electrician in Rhode Island earned $74,090 in May 2025, 2.13 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $104,620 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in Rhode Island have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Washington County (715 MW), Providence County (4 MW).
Which data center projects are delayed in Rhode Island?
The SAVRN Delay Watchlist names 1 project in Rhode Island, among them Smithfield Data Center (Hanton City Investments).
Who is building power plants in Rhode Island?
The largest owners of planned generation are Orsted Wind Power North America LLC (715 MW, mostly wind), Hope Solar One, LLC (4 MW, mostly solar) (EIA-860M).
Does Rhode Island have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 3 state-level measures (0 enacted) and 5 local moratoria or restrictions in Rhode Island, 4 of them in force, 40th most in the country.
Rhode Island across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.