Bennington County, Vermont: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bennington, Shaftsbury and Pownal
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bennington County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Bennington County is home to Bennington, Shaftsbury, Pownal and Arlington. 22 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Freepoint Commodities LLC (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Vermont's counties. 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, Rutland County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 16,642 jobs in 2025, down 4.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Bennington County
Bennington County is home to Bennington, Shaftsbury, Pownal and Arlington.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arlington, Bennington, Dorset, East Dorset, Manchester Center, North Pownal, Pownal, Pownal Center, Readsboro, South Shaftsbury, Stamford, Stratton Mountain.
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 Bennington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Vermont |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,318 | 36,630 | ▼ 1.8% | 8th of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,391 | 16,642 | ▼ 4.3% | 11th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,977 | $62,189 | ▲ 38.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 22 MW | 50% of today's fleet | 2nd of 4 by size |
Its power plants have 44 MW of capacity, 81% of it wind, the 9th largest fleet in Vermont. Green Mountain Power Corp is the largest utility serving Bennington County. Its residential customers paid an average 22.09¢/kWh in 2024. 36,630 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020, 8th of 14 Vermont counties by population.
Who powers Bennington County
Utilities with service territory in Bennington County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Mountain Power Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 226,675 | 22.09¢ | 36% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 36 MW | 81% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 10% |
| Hydro | 4 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deerfield Wind LLC | Avangrid Power LLC | Wind | 30 MW | 2017 |
| Searsburg Wind Turbine | Green Mountain Power Corp | Wind | 6 MW | 1997 |
| Searsburg | Great River Hydro, LLC | Hydro | 4 MW | 1922 |
| Battle Creek Solar | Ecos Energy LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2018 |
| SVEP Solar Project Company | CVI CleanCapital Solar 1 LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2012 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaftsbury Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 20 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Freepoint Commodities LLC |
| Apple Hill Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Ecos Energy LLC |
The Bennington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,642 | $62,189 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 21 | $634,968 | 0.41 |
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 Bennington County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bennington County. Vermont has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Bennington County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Bennington County, Franklin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bennington County | 36,630 | ▼ 4.3% | 44 MW | 22 MW | — | — |
| Berkshire County MA | 128,224 | ▼ 5.4% | 1,024 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County MA | 70,698 | ▼ 6.8% | 1,334 MW | — | — | — |
| Rensselaer County NY | 160,510 | ▲ 3.4% | 949 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Rutland County | 59,653 | ▼ 5.4% | 35 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
| Washington County NY | 59,353 | ▼ 3.6% | 72 MW | — | — | — |
| Windham County | 45,204 | ▼ 2.3% | 122 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Windsor County | 57,312 | ▲ 0.2% | 89 MW | — | — | — |
More of Vermont
Bennington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bennington County, Vermont?
1 utility has service territory in Bennington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Green Mountain Power Corp. The largest, Green Mountain Power Corp, charged residential customers 22.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bennington, VT in?
Bennington is in Bennington County, Vermont. About 14,953 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bennington County?
5 operating plants with 44 MW of capacity. The largest is Deerfield Wind LLC (30 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Bennington County?
22 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Freepoint Commodities LLC.
Are there data centers in Bennington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bennington County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Rutland County.
Is Bennington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,642 jobs in 2025 against 17,391 in 2019 (-4.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Bennington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bennington County. Vermont has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.