Bertie County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Windsor
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bertie County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Bertie County is home to Windsor and Aulander. 4 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by North Carolina El Member Corp (battery storage). 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 5,322 jobs in 2025, down 6.2% from 2019. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Bertie County
Bertie County is home to Windsor and Aulander.
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 Bertie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,722 | 17,086 | ▼ 3.6% | 85th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,676 | 5,322 | ▼ 6.2% | 89th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,984 | $46,503 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 4 MW | 9% of today's fleet | 28th of 30 by size |
Its power plants have 45 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Bertie County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.93¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 17,086 people live here, down 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Bertie County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bertie County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| Roanoke Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,049 | 21.14¢ | 24% |
| Edgecombe-Martin County E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,716 | 16.06¢ | 21% |
| Town of Windsor- (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 45 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelford (Duke) | Deriva Energy | Solar | 20 MW | 2015 |
| Kelford (Cypress) | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Lewiston Solar | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
| Windsor Cooper HIill Solar, LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Windsor Hwy 17 Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Windsor Solar | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor BESS | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | North Carolina El Member Corp |
The Bertie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,322 | $46,503 | 1.00 |
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 Bertie County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bertie County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Northampton County.
Bertie County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Bertie County, Halifax 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertie County | 17,086 | ▼ 6.2% | 45 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Halifax County | 46,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 850 MW | 173 MW | — | — |
| Hertford County | 19,015 | ▼ 7.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Martin County | 21,601 | ▼ 4.5% | 216 MW | — | — | — |
| Northampton County | 16,491 | ▼ 14.3% | 363 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Washington County | 10,638 | ▼ 3.0% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Bertie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bertie County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Bertie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Roanoke Electric Member Corp, Edgecombe-Martin County E M C, Town of Windsor- (NC). The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bertie County?
6 operating plants with 45 MW of capacity. The largest is Kelford (Duke) (20 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Bertie County?
4 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is North Carolina El Member Corp.
Are there data centers in Bertie County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bertie County.
Is Bertie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,322 jobs in 2025 against 5,676 in 2019 (-6.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Bertie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bertie County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.