Caroline County, Maryland: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Denton, Federalsburg and Greensboro
Caroline County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 1,103, up 30.8% since 2019, and construction is 2.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Caroline County is home to Denton, Federalsburg, Greensboro and Ridgely. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year moratorium on new data centers”. Employers here counted 9,016 jobs in 2025, down 9.3% from 2019. 147 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Caroline County
Caroline County is home to Denton, Federalsburg, Greensboro and Ridgely.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Choptank, West Denton, Williston.
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 Caroline County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,274 | 34,116 | ▲ 2.5% | 20th of 24 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,940 | 9,016 | ▼ 9.3% | 24th of 24 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,573 | $55,633 | ▲ 27.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 843 | 1,103 | ▲ 30.8% | 1st of 15 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 83 | 88 | ▲ 6.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 147 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 147 MW of capacity, 99% of it solar. Delmarva Power is the largest utility serving Caroline County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.22¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.84¢ median for Maryland utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 34,116 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Caroline County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +147 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Caroline County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delmarva Power | Investor Owned | Bundled | 186,368 | 20.22¢ | 17% |
| Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 50,697 | 16.46¢ | 23% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 146 MW | 99% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherrywood Solar I | Cherrywood Solar, LLC | Solar | 145 MW | 2026 |
| Federalsburg Energy Storage 1 LLC | Convergent Energy and Power LP | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Caroline County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,016 | $55,633 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,103 | $71,433 | 2.31 |
| Power and communication line construction | 88 | $86,090 | 6.04 |
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 Caroline County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year moratorium on new data centers | In force | 2026-07 |
Caroline County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Caroline County, Kent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline County | 34,116 | ▼ 9.3% | 147 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dorchester County | 33,628 | ▲ 3.0% | 310 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kent County DE | 194,786 | ▲ 4.6% | 663 MW | 61 MW | — | 1 |
| Queen Anne's County | 54,448 | ▲ 4.1% | 167 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sussex County DE | 277,140 | ▲ 15.0% | 65 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Talbot County | 38,238 | ▼ 0.1% | 71 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Maryland
Caroline County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Caroline County, Maryland?
2 utilities have service territory in Caroline County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Delmarva Power, Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc. The largest, Delmarva Power, charged residential customers 20.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Caroline County?
2 operating plants with 147 MW of capacity. The largest is Cherrywood Solar I (145 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Caroline County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Caroline County.
Is Caroline County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,016 jobs in 2025 against 9,940 in 2019 (-9.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 843 to 1,103.
Does Caroline County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Caroline County, 1 in force.