Craven County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to New Bern, Havelock and Trent Woods
Craven 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. Craven County is home to New Bern, Havelock, Trent Woods and River Bend. Next door, Jones County has 224 MW of planned generation. 24 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 137 MW of capacity, 68% of it other technologies. Electrical contractors employ 117, at an average $48,180 a year.
Cities and towns in Craven County
Craven County is home to New Bern, Havelock, Trent Woods and River Bend.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brices Creek, Cherry Branch, Fairfield Harbour, James City, Neuse Forest.
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 Craven County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 101,514 | 105,025 | ▲ 3.5% | 28th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39,711 | 40,422 | ▲ 1.8% | 50th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,015 | $57,163 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 90 | 91 | ▲ 1.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 24 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 40,422 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Craven County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 105,025 people live here, up 3.5% since 2020.
Who powers Craven County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +24 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Craven 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% |
| Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 79,690 | 13.09¢ | 19% |
| Carteret-Craven El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 38,858 | 12.15¢ | 23% |
| Tideland Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,551 | 16.18¢ | 26% |
| City of New Bern - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 21,226 | 12.65¢ | 40% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 94 MW | 68% |
| Solar | 38 MW | 28% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craven County Wood Energy LP | CMS Generation Operating Co II | Other technologies | 50 MW | 1990 |
| International Paper Co. - New Bern Mill | GFC - New Bern Mill | Other technologies | 38 MW | 2014 |
| New Bern | Industrial Power Generating Company LLC | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2007 |
| Andrew Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Fairfield Harbor | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Grove Solar | Sol Systems | Solar | 5 MW | 2019 |
The Craven County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,422 | $57,163 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 117 | $48,180 | 0.40 |
| Electric utilities | 91 | $114,389 | 0.83 |
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 Craven County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Craven County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Beaufort County.
Craven County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Craven County, Jones 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craven County | 105,025 | ▲ 1.8% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaufort County | 44,670 | ▲ 4.9% | 196 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Carteret County | 70,469 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Jones County | 9,575 | ▼ 2.0% | 120 MW | 224 MW | — | — |
| Lenoir County | 55,837 | ▲ 3.5% | 165 MW | — | — | — |
| Pamlico County | 12,758 | ▲ 21.6% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Pitt County | 182,936 | ▲ 4.9% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Craven County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Craven County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Craven County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp, Carteret-Craven El Member Corp, Tideland Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is New Bern, NC in?
New Bern is in Craven County, North Carolina. About 34,724 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Havelock, NC in?
Havelock is in Craven County, North Carolina. About 17,430 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Craven County?
12 operating plants with 137 MW of capacity. The largest is Craven County Wood Energy LP (50 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Craven County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Craven County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jones County.
Is Craven County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,422 jobs in 2025 against 39,711 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Craven County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Craven County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.