Bladen County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Elizabethtown and Bladenboro
Bladen County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Bladen County is home to Elizabethtown, Bladenboro, White Lake and Clarkton. 80 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Headwater Energy, LLC (solar), the 10th largest pipeline among North Carolina's counties. 80 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 335, up 11.7% since 2019. 77 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 12,522 jobs in 2025, down 5.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bladen County
Bladen County is home to Elizabethtown, Bladenboro, White Lake and Clarkton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Butters, Kelly, White Oak.
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 Bladen County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,628 | 30,007 | ▲ 1.3% | 72nd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,227 | 12,522 | ▼ 5.3% | 85th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,780 | $51,044 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 300 | 335 | ▲ 11.7% | 40th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 51 | 35 | ▼ 31.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 4.8% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 77 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 80 MW | 22% of today's fleet | 10th of 30 by size |
Its power plants have 372 MW of capacity, 92% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Bladen County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 30,007 people live here, up 1.3% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 35, down 31.4% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $58,091 a year.
Who powers Bladen County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +77 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bladen County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
| Brunswick Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 105,562 | 13.66¢ | 25% |
| South River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,730 | 13.30¢ | 17% |
| Four County Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,807 | 13.98¢ | 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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 344 MW | 92% |
| Petroleum | 28 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovative Solar 42 | Novis Renewables, LLC | Solar | 71 MW | 2017 |
| Bay Tree | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 70 MW | 2021 |
| Innovative Solar 43, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 51 MW | 2016 |
| Bladen Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 50 MW | 2017 |
| Innovative Solar 31 | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 35 MW | 2017 |
| Smithfield Farmland Corp Bladen | Smithfield Fresh Meats Corp. | Petroleum | 28 MW | 1993 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleepy Creek Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Headwater Energy, LLC |
The Bladen County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,522 | $51,044 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 335 | $59,132 | 0.50 |
| Electrical contractors | 35 | $58,091 | 0.39 |
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 Bladen County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bladen County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Columbus County, Cumberland County.
Bladen County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Bladen County, Robeson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bladen County | 30,007 | ▼ 5.3% | 372 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Columbus County | 50,487 | ▼ 6.4% | 166 MW | 25 MW | — | 1 |
| Cumberland County | 338,473 | ▲ 1.5% | 455 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pender County | 72,111 | ▲ 25.7% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Robeson County | 119,941 | ▼ 5.3% | 419 MW | 108 MW | — | — |
| Sampson County | 61,504 | ▼ 5.1% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Bladen County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bladen County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Bladen County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Brunswick Electric Member Corp, South River Elec Member Corp, Four County Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bladen County?
17 operating plants with 372 MW of capacity. The largest is Innovative Solar 42 (71 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Bladen County?
80 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 80 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Headwater Energy, LLC.
Are there data centers in Bladen County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bladen County.
Is Bladen County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,522 jobs in 2025 against 13,227 in 2019 (-5.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 300 to 335.
Does Bladen County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bladen County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.