Cleveland County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shelby, Kings Mountain and Boiling Springs
Cleveland County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cleveland County. Cleveland County is home to Shelby, most of Kings Mountain (10,921 of its 12,117 residents), Boiling Springs and Belwood. Its power plants have 2,982 MW of capacity, 94% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in North Carolina. 85 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 395, at an average $81,963 a year.
Cities and towns in Cleveland County
Cleveland County is home to Shelby, most of Kings Mountain (10,921 of its 12,117 residents), Boiling Springs and Belwood.
- Kings Mountain also extends into Gaston County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Light 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 Cleveland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 99,926 | 103,325 | ▲ 3.4% | 29th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35,642 | 35,958 | ▲ 0.9% | 54th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,588 | $53,935 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.3% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 85 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Cleveland County, one of 5 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 35,958 jobs in 2025, up 0.9% from 2019. 103,325 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Who powers Cleveland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +85 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cleveland 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% |
| Rutherford Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 70,743 | 13.13¢ | 14% |
| Broad River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 482 | 15.62¢ | 2% |
| City of Kings Mountain - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Shelby - (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 30
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,810 MW | 94% |
| Solar | 166 MW | 6% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James E. Rogers Energy Complex | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Natural gas | 1,530 MW | 1972 |
| Cleveland Cnty Generating Facility | Southern Power Co | Natural gas | 736 MW | 2012 |
| Kings Mountain Energy Center | Carolina Power Partners, LLC | Natural gas | 544 MW | 2018 |
| Broad River Solar, LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 50 MW | 2021 |
| Apex NC Solar | Apex NC Solar, LLC | Solar | 29 MW | 2026 |
| Ayrshire | CD Global Solar Holdings, LLC | Solar | 19 MW | 2017 |
The Cleveland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 35,958 | $53,935 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 395 | $81,963 | 1.52 |
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 Cleveland County
1 data center in Cleveland County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Cleveland County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Cleveland County, York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland County | 103,325 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,982 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Burke County | 88,655 | ● 0.0% | 48 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Cherokee County SC | 58,275 | ▼ 13.7% | 1,928 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gaston County | 246,558 | ▲ 8.9% | 195 MW | 240 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 98,654 | ▲ 18.6% | 2,519 MW | 54 MW | — | — |
| Rutherford County | 65,745 | ▼ 3.1% | 127 MW | 60 MW | 3 | — |
| York County SC | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
More of North Carolina
Cleveland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cleveland County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Cleveland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Rutherford Elec Member Corp, Broad River Electric Coop, Inc, City of Kings Mountain - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Shelby, NC in?
Shelby is in Cleveland County, North Carolina. About 23,309 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kings Mountain, NC in?
Most of Kings Mountain is in Cleveland County: 10,921 of its 12,117 residents, or 90%. The rest of the city lies in Gaston County.
What power plants are in Cleveland County?
30 operating plants with 2,982 MW of capacity. The largest is James E. Rogers Energy Complex (1,530 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cleveland County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Cleveland County.
Is Cleveland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 35,958 jobs in 2025 against 35,642 in 2019 (+0.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cleveland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cleveland County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.