Chowan County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Edenton
Chowan 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. Chowan County is home to Edenton. Employers here counted 5,060 jobs in 2025, up 9.9% from 2019. 204 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 164, up 5.8% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Chowan County
Chowan County is home to Edenton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arrowhead Beach, Cape Colony, Chowan Beach.
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 Chowan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,702 | 14,082 | ▲ 2.8% | 88th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,604 | 5,060 | ▲ 9.9% | 23rd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,590 | $51,286 | ▲ 36.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 155 | 164 | ▲ 5.8% | 45th of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 204 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 211 MW of capacity, 89% of it wind. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Chowan 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. 14,082 people live here, up 2.8% since 2020.
Who powers Chowan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +204 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chowan 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% |
| Albemarle Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,728 | 14.47¢ | 15% |
| Roanoke Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,049 | 21.14¢ | 24% |
| Town of Edenton - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 189 MW | 89% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 9% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timbermill Wind, LLC | Timbermill Wind | Wind | 189 MW | 2024 |
| Chowan Jehu Solar | SunStrong Management | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Edenton Solar | Edenton Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
| Gliden (Op Zone) | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 5 MW | 2020 |
| Ryland Road Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| Edenton Generators | Town of Edenton - (NC) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1988 |
The Chowan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,060 | $51,286 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 164 | $60,961 | 0.61 |
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 Chowan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chowan County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Gates County.
Chowan County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Chowan County, Perquimans 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chowan County | 14,082 | ▲ 9.9% | 211 MW | — | — | — |
| Gates County | 10,234 | ▼ 6.0% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Hertford County | 19,015 | ▼ 7.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Perquimans County | 13,490 | ▲ 6.4% | 259 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Chowan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chowan County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Chowan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Albemarle Electric Member Corp, Roanoke Electric Member Corp, Town of Edenton - (NC). The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chowan County?
6 operating plants with 211 MW of capacity. The largest is Timbermill Wind, LLC (189 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Chowan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chowan County.
Is Chowan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,060 jobs in 2025 against 4,604 in 2019 (+9.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 155 to 164.
Does Chowan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chowan County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.