Kent County, Rhode Island: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Warwick, Coventry and West Warwick
No data center or power plant project is on record in Kent County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Kent County is home to Warwick, Coventry, West Warwick and East Greenwich. Next door, Washington County has 715 MW of planned generation. 126 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 148 MW of capacity, 90% of it solar, the 4th largest fleet in Rhode Island. The Narragansett Electric Co is the largest utility serving Kent County. Its residential customers paid an average 28.26¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Kent County
Kent County is home to Warwick, Coventry, West Warwick and East Greenwich.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Greene.
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 Kent County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 170,419 | 173,495 | ▲ 1.8% | 2nd of 5 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 76,288 | 76,660 | ▲ 0.5% | 5th of 5 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,687 | $65,511 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 79 | 104 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 126 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 76,660 jobs in 2025, up 0.5% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 5 Rhode Island counties). Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 173,495 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020, 2nd of 5 Rhode Island counties by population.
Who powers Kent County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +126 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kent County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Narragansett Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 451,381 | 28.26¢ | 26% |
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 18
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 133 MW | 90% |
| Wind | 15 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Hollow Solar | Robin Hollow Solar, LLC | Solar | 41 MW | 2023 |
| University Solar, LLC | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 24 MW | 2019 |
| GD West Greenwich Nooseneck I, LLC | GD West Greenwich Nooseneck I, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2022 |
| Gold Meadow Farms | Captona Lippitt Ave Cranston LLC | Solar | 16 MW | 2019 |
| Hopkins Hill CSG | Nautilus Solar Solutions | Solar | 7 MW | 2020 |
| 10 Briggs Solar NG, LLC (East) | NuGen Capital Management | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
The Kent County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 76,660 | $65,511 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 104 | $130,981 | 0.44 |
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 Kent County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kent County. Rhode Island has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Kent County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Kent County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 173,495 | ▲ 0.5% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| New London County CT | — | — | 3,048 MW | 5 MW | 2 | — |
| Providence County | 678,179 | ▲ 0.5% | 1,907 MW | 4 MW | 7 | — |
| Washington County | 129,795 | ▲ 10.5% | 189 MW | 715 MW | — | — |
| Windham County CT | — | — | 973 MW | 139 MW | — | — |
More of Rhode Island
Kent County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kent County, Rhode Island?
1 utility has service territory in Kent County in the EIA-861 2024 report: The Narragansett Electric Co. The largest, The Narragansett Electric Co, charged residential customers 28.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Warwick, RI in?
Warwick is in Kent County, Rhode Island. About 84,187 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Coventry, RI in?
Coventry is in Kent County, Rhode Island. About 36,281 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is West Warwick, RI in?
West Warwick is in Kent County, Rhode Island. About 31,487 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kent County?
18 operating plants with 148 MW of capacity. The largest is Robin Hollow Solar (41 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Kent County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kent County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Kent County adding jobs?
Employers counted 76,660 jobs in 2025 against 76,288 in 2019 (+0.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kent County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kent County. Rhode Island has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.