Franklin County, Vermont: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Albans, Fairfax and Georgia
Franklin County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Franklin County is home to St. Albans, Fairfax, Georgia and Highgate. Next door, Chittenden County has 6 data centers. Construction employs 614, up 9.1% since 2019. Employers here counted 16,625 jobs in 2025, down 7.8% from 2019. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Franklin County
Franklin County is home to St. Albans, Fairfax, Georgia and Highgate.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bakersfield, Fairfax, Highgate Center, Highgate Springs, Richford.
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 Franklin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Vermont |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 50,041 | 51,177 | ▲ 2.3% | 5th of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,041 | 16,625 | ▼ 7.8% | 14th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,318 | $62,997 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 563 | 614 | ▲ 9.1% | 4th of 6 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. Its power plants have 102 MW of capacity, 46% of it petroleum, the 3rd largest fleet in Vermont. Green Mountain Power Corp is the largest utility serving Franklin County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 22.09¢/kWh in 2024. 51,177 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020, 5th of 14 Vermont counties by population.
Who powers Franklin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Franklin 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% |
| Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,964 | 23.26¢ | 28% |
| Village of Enosburg Falls - (VT) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Swanton - (VT) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 8
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 47 MW | 46% |
| Hydro | 40 MW | 40% |
| Solar | 9 MW | 9% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VPPSA Project 10 | Vermont Public Power Supply Authority | Petroleum | 47 MW | 2010 |
| Sheldon Springs Hydroelectric | Central Rivers Power US, LLC | Hydro | 25 MW | 1988 |
| Highgate Falls | Village of Swanton - (VT) | Hydro | 12 MW | 1923 |
| Georgia Ballard BESS | Strata Manager, LLC | Battery storage | 5 MW | 2023 |
| Saint Albans Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Fairfax Falls | Green Mountain Power Corp | Hydro | 4 MW | 1919 |
The Franklin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,625 | $62,997 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 614 | $64,519 | 0.70 |
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 Franklin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Franklin County. Vermont has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Franklin County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Franklin County, Chittenden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 51,177 | ▼ 7.8% | 102 MW | — | — | — |
| Chittenden County | 169,115 | ▲ 0.5% | 196 MW | 16 MW | 6 | — |
| Grand Isle County | 7,511 | ▲ 13.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Lamoille County | 26,294 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Orleans County | 27,600 | ▼ 5.1% | 82 MW | — | — | — |
More of Vermont
Franklin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Franklin County, Vermont?
4 utilities have service territory in Franklin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Green Mountain Power Corp, Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc, Village of Enosburg Falls - (VT), Village of Swanton - (VT). The largest, Green Mountain Power Corp, charged residential customers 22.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Franklin County?
8 operating plants with 102 MW of capacity. The largest is VPPSA Project 10 (47 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Franklin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Franklin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Chittenden County.
Is Franklin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,625 jobs in 2025 against 18,041 in 2019 (-7.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 563 to 614.
Does Franklin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Franklin County. Vermont has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.