Charles County, Maryland: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to La Plata and Indian Head
Charles County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Charles County. Charles County is home to La Plata and Indian Head. 1,288 MW has retired here since 2019, including Morgantown Generating Plant (coal, 1,252 MW, 2022). 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Charles County Zoning Text Amendment 25-187 (data center zoning enablement). Construction employs 2,920, down 16.4% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Charles County
Charles County is home to La Plata and Indian Head.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Benedict, Bensville, Bryans Road, Bryantown, Cobb Island, Hughesville, Pomfret, Potomac Heights, Rock Point, Waldorf.
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 Charles County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 166,734 | 176,593 | ▲ 5.9% | 10th of 24 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41,505 | 43,545 | ▲ 4.9% | 3rd of 24 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,240 | $61,774 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,492 | 2,920 | ▼ 16.4% | 14th of 15 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59 | 49 | ▼ 16.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 28 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1,288 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 1,079 MW of capacity, 72% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Maryland. 28 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 43,545 jobs in 2025, up 4.9% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 24 Maryland counties). Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc is the largest utility serving Charles County. Its residential customers paid an average 14.84¢/kWh in 2024. 176,593 people live here, up 5.9% since 2020, 10th of 24 Maryland counties by population.
Who powers Charles County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1,260 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Charles County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 160,882 | 14.84¢ | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 775 MW | 72% |
| Petroleum | 260 MW | 24% |
| Solar | 43 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPV St Charles Energy Center | CPV Maryland LLC | Natural gas | 775 MW | 2017 |
| Morgantown Generating Plant | Lanyard Power Holdings, LLC | Petroleum | 260 MW | 1973 |
| Ripley | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 28 MW | 2023 |
| Rockfish Solar LLC | Rockfish Solar LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2015 |
| Herbert Farm Solar | SMECO Solar LLC | Solar | 6 MW | 2012 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgantown Generating Plant | Coal | 1,252 MW | 2022 |
| Morgantown Generating Plant | Petroleum | 36 MW | 2022 |
The Charles County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 43,545 | $61,774 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,920 | $77,401 | 1.27 |
| Data processing and hosting | 49 | $146,234 | 0.36 |
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 Charles County
1 data center in Charles County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles County Zoning Text Amendment 25-187 (data center zoning enablement) | withdrawn | — |
Charles County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Charles County, Fairfax 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles County | 176,593 | ▲ 4.9% | 1,079 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Calvert County | 94,484 | ▼ 0.6% | 1,852 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Fairfax County VA | 1,167,873 | ▲ 2.0% | 133 MW | — | 45 | 1 |
| Prince George's County | 970,374 | ▲ 1.9% | 3,100 MW | 12 MW | 5 | 3 |
| St. Mary's County | 116,692 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Maryland
Charles County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Charles County, Maryland?
1 utility has service territory in Charles County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Southern Maryland Elec Coop Inc, charged residential customers 14.84¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is La Plata, MD in?
La Plata is in Charles County, Maryland. About 12,137 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Charles County?
5 operating plants with 1,079 MW of capacity. The largest is CPV St Charles Energy Center (775 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Charles County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Charles County.
Is Charles County adding jobs?
Employers counted 43,545 jobs in 2025 against 41,505 in 2019 (+4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,492 to 2,920.
Does Charles County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Charles County. Maryland has 31 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.