Alexander County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Taylorsville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Alexander County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Alexander County is home to Taylorsville. Next door, Catawba County has 12 data centers. Employers here counted 8,667 jobs in 2025, down 7.3% from 2019. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 11 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Alexander County
Alexander County is home to Taylorsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bethlehem, Hiddenite, Stony Point.
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 Alexander County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,406 | 36,958 | ▲ 1.5% | 67th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,353 | 8,667 | ▼ 7.3% | 93rd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,627 | $47,701 | ▲ 37.8% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 103 | 79 | ▼ 23.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Alexander County, one of 3 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 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 36,958 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 79, down 23.3% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $40,422 a year.
Who powers Alexander County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Alexander 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% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
| Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 71,926 | 14.59¢ | 24% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 11 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stikeleather Farm | Stikeleather Farm, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Ventura Solar, LLC | Sol Systems | Solar | 5 MW | 2020 |
| Taylorsville Solar LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 1 MW | 2010 |
The Alexander County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,667 | $47,701 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 79 | $40,422 | 1.26 |
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 Alexander County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Alexander County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide.
Alexander County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Alexander County, Catawba 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander County | 36,958 | ▼ 7.3% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Caldwell County | 81,105 | ▲ 0.2% | 40 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Catawba County | 170,172 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,328 MW | 50 MW | 12 | — |
| Iredell County | 211,798 | ▲ 7.1% | 43 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Wilkes County | 66,233 | ▼ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Alexander County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Alexander County, North Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Alexander County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Blue Ridge Elec Member Corp - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Alexander County?
3 operating plants with 11 MW of capacity. The largest is Stikeleather Farm (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Alexander County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Alexander County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Catawba County.
Is Alexander County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,667 jobs in 2025 against 9,353 in 2019 (-7.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Alexander County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Alexander County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.