Duplin County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wallace, Warsaw and Rose Hill
The build-out shows up in Duplin County as work for the electrical trades. Duplin County is home to Wallace, Warsaw, Rose Hill and Beulaville. 123 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Cypress Creek Renewables (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among North Carolina's counties. 11 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 172, up 36.5% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $58,877 a year. Next door, Jones County has 224 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 732, up 14.6% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Duplin County
Duplin County is home to Wallace, Warsaw, Rose Hill and Beulaville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bowdens, Chinquapin, Potters Hill.
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 Duplin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 48,660 | 51,571 | ▲ 6.0% | 51st of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,891 | 19,630 | ▲ 3.9% | 46th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,753 | $47,638 | ▲ 29.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 639 | 732 | ▲ 14.6% | 33rd of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 126 | 172 | ▲ 36.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 33 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 123 MW | 63% of today's fleet | 6th of 30 by size |
33 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 195 MW of capacity, 96% of it solar. Employers here counted 19,630 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Duplin 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. 51,571 people live here, up 6.0% since 2020.
Who powers Duplin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +33 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Duplin 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% |
| Four County Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,807 | 13.98¢ | 24% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,523 | 12.76¢ | 22% |
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 36
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 188 MW | 96% |
| Battery storage | 5 MW | 3% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warsaw Farm | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Solar | 65 MW | 2015 |
| Nickelson Solar, LLC | Sol Systems | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Albertson Solar LLC | Albertson Solar LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Duplin Solar I LLC (160 Houston Lane) | Duplin Solar I, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
| Kirkwall Holdings | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Aspen Solar, LLC | SRE Utility Solar 1, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panther Branch Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Panther Branch Solar, LLC | Batteries | 32 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Warsaw 2 Energy Storage | Batteries | 11 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) |
The Duplin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,630 | $47,638 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 732 | $60,280 | 0.70 |
| Electrical contractors | 172 | $58,877 | 1.22 |
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 Duplin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Duplin County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide.
Duplin County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Duplin County, Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duplin County | 51,571 | ▲ 3.9% | 195 MW | 123 MW | — | — |
| Jones County | 9,575 | ▼ 2.0% | 120 MW | 224 MW | — | — |
| Lenoir County | 55,837 | ▲ 3.5% | 165 MW | — | — | — |
| Onslow County | 217,175 | ▲ 9.8% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
| Pender County | 72,111 | ▲ 25.7% | 137 MW | — | — | — |
| Sampson County | 61,504 | ▼ 5.1% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 122,278 | ▼ 1.4% | 2,181 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Duplin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Duplin County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Duplin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Jones-Onslow Elec Member Corp, Four County Elec Member Corp, Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Duplin County?
36 operating plants with 195 MW of capacity. The largest is Warsaw Farm (65 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Duplin County?
123 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 11 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cypress Creek Renewables.
Are there data centers in Duplin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Duplin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jones County.
Is Duplin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,630 jobs in 2025 against 18,891 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 639 to 732.
Does Duplin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Duplin County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.