Orleans County, Vermont: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Derby, Newport and Troy
No data center or power plant project is on record in Orleans County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Orleans County is home to Derby, Newport, Troy and Craftsbury. Construction employs 678, up 4.3% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 129, at an average $73,112 a year. Employers here counted 10,320 jobs in 2025, down 5.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 82 MW of capacity, 79% of it wind, the 6th largest fleet in Vermont.
Cities and towns in Orleans County
Orleans County is home to Derby, Newport, Troy and Craftsbury.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Coventry, Glover, Greensboro, Greensboro Bend, Irasburg, Lowell, Newport Center, Troy.
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 Orleans County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Vermont |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 27,404 | 27,600 | ▲ 0.7% | 11th of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,875 | 10,320 | ▼ 5.1% | 12th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,914 | $53,622 | ▲ 37.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 650 | 678 | ▲ 4.3% | 5th of 6 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 117 | 129 | ▲ 10.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Green Mountain Power Corp is the largest utility serving Orleans County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 22.09¢/kWh in 2024. 27,600 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Orleans County
Utilities with service territory in Orleans 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% |
| Barton Village, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Hardwick | — | — | — | — | — |
| The Town of Lyndon Electric Department | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Orleans - (VT) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Washington Electric Coop - (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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 65 MW | 79% |
| Other technologies | 8 MW | 10% |
| Hydro | 5 MW | 7% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingdom Community Wind | Green Mountain Power Corp | Wind | 65 MW | 2012 |
| Coventry Clean Energy Corporation | Washington Electric Coop - (VT) | Other technologies | 8 MW | 2005 |
| Newport | Great Bay Hydro Corp | Hydro | 4 MW | 1936 |
| Coventry Photovoltaic, LLC | Coventry Photovoltaic, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2014 |
| Barton Solar Farm | Barton Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2014 |
| West Charleston | Barton Village, Inc | Hydro | 1 MW | 1931 |
The Orleans County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,320 | $53,622 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 678 | $68,284 | 1.24 |
| Electrical contractors | 129 | $73,112 | 1.73 |
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 Orleans County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Orleans County. Vermont has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Orleans County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Orleans 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans County | 27,600 | ▼ 5.1% | 82 MW | — | — | — |
| Caledonia County | 30,414 | ▲ 5.1% | 83 MW | — | — | — |
| Essex County | 6,051 | ▼ 3.2% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 51,177 | ▼ 7.8% | 102 MW | — | — | — |
| Lamoille County | 26,294 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
More of Vermont
Orleans County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Orleans County, Vermont?
7 utilities have service territory in Orleans County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Green Mountain Power Corp, Vermont Electric Cooperative, Inc, Barton Village, Inc, Town of Hardwick. The largest, Green Mountain Power Corp, charged residential customers 22.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Orleans County?
6 operating plants with 82 MW of capacity. The largest is Kingdom Community Wind (65 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Orleans County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Orleans County.
Is Orleans County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,320 jobs in 2025 against 10,875 in 2019 (-5.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 650 to 678.
Does Orleans County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Orleans County. Vermont has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.