Alamance County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Burlington, Graham and Mebane
The data center boom is not abstract in Alamance County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Alamance County. Alamance County is home to most of Burlington (58,863 of its 61,496 residents), Graham, most of Mebane (17,209 of its 21,952 residents) and Elon. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. 35 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Quaker Creek Farm Solar, LLC (solar). 35 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 66,529 jobs in 2025, up 6.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Alamance County
Alamance County is home to most of Burlington (58,863 of its 61,496 residents), Graham, most of Mebane (17,209 of its 21,952 residents) and Elon.
- Burlington also extends into Guilford County.
- Mebane also extends into Orange County.
- Gibsonville also extends into Guilford County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Altamahaw, Glen Raven, Saxapahaw, Woodlawn.
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 Alamance County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 171,624 | 186,177 | ▲ 8.5% | 15th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62,633 | 66,529 | ▲ 6.2% | 35th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,247 | $53,768 | ▲ 27.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 587 | 582 | ▼ 0.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.8% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 35 MW | 107% of today's fleet | 21st of 30 by size |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 33 MW of capacity, 95% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 582, down 0.9% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $69,025 a year. 186,177 people live here, up 8.5% since 2020. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Alamance County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Who powers Alamance County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Alamance County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,919,372 | 13.94¢ | 42% |
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
| Randolph Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,086 | 15.91¢ | 23% |
| Piedmont Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,334 | 15.60¢ | 14% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 31 MW | 95% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Camp Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Bakatsias Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Elliana Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Manning PV 1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Milo Solar | Milo Solar LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2016 |
| Minnie Solar | Minnie Solar LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quaker Creek Farm Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 35 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Quaker Creek Farm Solar, LLC |
The Alamance County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 66,529 | $53,768 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 582 | $69,025 | 1.21 |
| Data processing and hosting | 42 | $77,839 | 0.20 |
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 Alamance County
1 data center in Alamance County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-08 |
Alamance County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Alamance County, Rockingham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | 186,177 | ▲ 6.2% | 33 MW | 35 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Caswell County | 22,563 | ▲ 0.2% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Chatham County | 85,111 | ▲ 31.9% | 42 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Guilford County | 562,234 | ▲ 2.3% | 44 MW | 40 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Orange County | 152,498 | ▲ 8.4% | 50 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Randolph County | 149,516 | ▲ 0.6% | 71 MW | — | — | — |
| Rockingham County | 94,195 | ▼ 4.4% | 1,718 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Alamance County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Alamance County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Alamance County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Randolph Electric Member Corp, Piedmont Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Burlington, NC in?
Most of Burlington is in Alamance County: 58,863 of its 61,496 residents, or 96%. The rest of the city lies in Guilford County.
What county is Graham, NC in?
Graham is in Alamance County, North Carolina. About 20,131 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Mebane, NC in?
Most of Mebane is in Alamance County: 17,209 of its 21,952 residents, or 78%. The rest of the city lies in Orange County.
What power plants are in Alamance County?
9 operating plants with 33 MW of capacity. The largest is Snow Camp Solar, LLC (5 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Alamance County?
35 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 35 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Quaker Creek Farm Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Alamance County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Alamance County.
Is Alamance County adding jobs?
Employers counted 66,529 jobs in 2025 against 62,633 in 2019 (+6.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Alamance County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Alamance County, 1 in force.