Newport County, Rhode Island: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newport, Portsmouth and Middletown
No data center or power plant project is on record in Newport County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Newport County is home to Newport, Portsmouth, Middletown and Tiverton. 41 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 317 MW of capacity, 87% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in Rhode Island. Employers here counted 42,997 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 5 Rhode Island counties). The Narragansett Electric Co is the largest utility serving Newport County. Its residential customers paid an average 28.26¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Newport County
Newport County is home to Newport, Portsmouth, Middletown and Tiverton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Melville, Newport East, Tiverton.
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 Newport County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Rhode Island |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 85,498 | 83,051 | ▼ 2.9% | 4th of 5 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41,530 | 42,997 | ▲ 3.5% | 3rd of 5 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,918 | $70,723 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 41 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 83,051 people live here, down 2.9% since 2020, 4th of 5 Rhode Island counties by population.
Who powers Newport County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +41 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Newport 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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 274 MW | 87% |
| Solar | 41 MW | 13% |
| Wind | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiverton Power Plant | Tiverton Power LLC | Natural gas | 274 MW | 2000 |
| Rhode Island Solar Renewable Energy IV, | Rhode Island Solar Renewable Energy IV, LLC | Solar | 12 MW | 2023 |
| Tank Farm 4 | Solar Breakers LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2022 |
| Kearsarge West Shore Solar LLC | Kearsarge West Shore Solar LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2022 |
| Founders Homestead Farms Solar | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 4 MW | 2019 |
| 1519 Crandall Road | 1519 Crandall Road LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2020 |
The Newport County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 42,997 | $70,723 | 1.00 |
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 Newport County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Newport County. Rhode Island has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Newport County and its neighbors
Of the 1 counties that border Newport County, Bristol 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newport County | 83,051 | ▲ 3.5% | 317 MW | — | — | — |
| Bristol County MA | 593,640 | ▼ 1.5% | 596 MW | 189 MW | — | — |
More of Rhode Island
Newport County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Newport County, Rhode Island?
1 utility has service territory in Newport 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 Newport, RI in?
Newport is in Newport County, Rhode Island. About 24,251 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Portsmouth, RI in?
Portsmouth is in Newport County, Rhode Island. About 17,474 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Middletown, RI in?
Middletown is in Newport County, Rhode Island. About 16,502 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Newport County?
10 operating plants with 317 MW of capacity. The largest is Tiverton Power Plant (274 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Newport County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Newport County.
Is Newport County adding jobs?
Employers counted 42,997 jobs in 2025 against 41,530 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Newport County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Newport County. Rhode Island has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.