Buncombe County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Asheville and Black Mountain, and the communities of Fairview
The data center boom is not abstract in Buncombe County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Buncombe County, 4% of North Carolina's total. Buncombe County is home to Asheville, Black Mountain, Woodfin and Weaverville, plus the unincorporated community of Fairview. 57 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (battery storage). 57 MW of it is already under construction or built. 414 MW has retired here since 2019, including Asheville (coal, 414 MW, 2020). 602 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas.
Cities and towns in Buncombe County
Buncombe County is home to Asheville, Black Mountain, Woodfin and Weaverville, plus the unincorporated community of Fairview.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fairview, Avery Creek, Barnardsville, Bent Creek, Emma, Royal Pines, Swannanoa.
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 Buncombe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 269,703 | 277,417 | ▲ 2.9% | 7th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 135,002 | 134,686 | ▼ 0.2% | 62nd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,850 | $61,596 | ▲ 37.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,811 | 7,285 | ▲ 7.0% | 44th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,342 | 1,594 | ▲ 18.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 329 | 465 | ▲ 41.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 56 | 199 | ▲ 255.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 602 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 414 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 57 MW | 6% of today's fleet | 15th of 30 by size |
Construction employs 7,285, up 7.0% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,594, up 18.8% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $67,064 a year. Its power plants have 1,033 MW of capacity, 98% of it natural gas. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Buncombe 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. Employers here counted 134,686 jobs in 2025, down 0.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 277,417 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020, 7th of 100 North Carolina counties by population.
Who powers Buncombe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +188 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Buncombe 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% |
| French Broad Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,147 | 14.78¢ | 20% |
| Haywood Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,078 | 16.60¢ | 8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,012 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 9 MW | 1% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Natural gas | 1,012 MW | 1999 |
| Asheville-Rock Hill Battery | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Battery storage | 9 MW | 2020 |
| Woodfin Solar | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Innovative Solar 6 | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 4 MW | 2016 |
| Metropolitan Sewerage District | Metropolitan Sewerage District | Hydro | 2 MW | 1988 |
| Biltmore Solar Fields | The Biltmore Company | Solar | 2 MW | 2012 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craggy Energy Storage | Batteries | 30 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| Asheville BESS | Batteries | 17 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) |
| Asheville Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 10 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | Coal | 414 MW | 2020 |
The Buncombe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 134,686 | $61,596 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,285 | $70,496 | 1.02 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,594 | $67,064 | 1.64 |
| Power and communication line construction | 222 | $126,059 | 1.02 |
| Electric utilities | 465 | $150,928 | 1.28 |
| Data processing and hosting | 199 | $185,809 | 0.48 |
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 Buncombe County
3 data centers in Buncombe County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Buncombe County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Buncombe County, Rutherford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | 277,417 | ▼ 0.2% | 1,033 MW | 57 MW | 3 | — |
| Haywood County | 63,369 | ▼ 2.1% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Henderson County | 122,375 | ▲ 10.0% | 12 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Madison County | 22,553 | ▲ 8.7% | 12 MW | — | — | 1 |
| McDowell County | 45,198 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Rutherford County | 65,745 | ▼ 3.1% | 127 MW | 60 MW | 3 | — |
| Transylvania County | 34,211 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Yancey County | 19,084 | ▲ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Buncombe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Buncombe County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Buncombe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), French Broad Elec Member Corp, Haywood Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Asheville, NC in?
Asheville is in Buncombe County, North Carolina. About 93,523 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Buncombe County?
6 operating plants with 1,033 MW of capacity. The largest is Asheville (1,012 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Buncombe County?
57 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 57 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
Are there data centers in Buncombe County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Buncombe County.
Is Buncombe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 134,686 jobs in 2025 against 135,002 in 2019 (-0.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,811 to 7,285.
Does Buncombe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Buncombe County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.