Edgecombe County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rocky Mount, Tarboro and Princeville
Edgecombe County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Edgecombe County is home to part of Rocky Mount (15,330 of its 55,120 residents), Tarboro, Princeville and Pinetops. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through August 3, 2028”. 75 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Invenergy Services LLC (solar). 75 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 405, down 23.6% since 2019. 115 MW has retired here since 2019, including Edgecombe Genco LLC (coal, 115 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Edgecombe County
Edgecombe County is home to part of Rocky Mount (15,330 of its 55,120 residents), Tarboro, Princeville and Pinetops.
- Rocky Mount also extends into Nash County.
- Whitakers also extends into Nash County.
- Sharpsburg also extends into Nash County, Wilson County.
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 Edgecombe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 48,781 | 49,121 | ▲ 0.7% | 53rd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,863 | 14,827 | ▼ 6.5% | 91st of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,789 | $49,806 | ▲ 31.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 530 | 405 | ▼ 23.6% | 58th of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.6% | 5.4% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 182 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 115 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 75 MW | 26% of today's fleet | 11th of 30 by size |
182 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 14,827 jobs in 2025, down 6.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 284 MW of capacity, 99% of it solar. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Edgecombe County, one of 10 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 5.4% in August 2026, against 5.6% in 2019. 49,121 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Edgecombe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +68 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Edgecombe 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% |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| City of Wilson - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 32,078 | 12.13¢ | 28% |
| City of Rocky Mount - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 25,407 | 12.18¢ | 40% |
| Edgecombe-Martin County E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,716 | 16.06¢ | 21% |
| Town of Tarboro - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 5,592 | 13.56¢ | 31% |
| Town of MacClesfield - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pitt & Greene Elec Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 282 MW | 99% |
| Battery storage | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fern Solar LLC | Fern Solar LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2020 |
| Conetoe II Solar, LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 80 MW | 2015 |
| Harts Mill Solar, LLC | Harts Mills Solar, LLC | Solar | 80 MW | 2020 |
| Conetoe Solar | Conetoe Solar, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Leggett Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Tarboro Solar | Deriva Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgecombe Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Invenergy Services LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edgecombe Genco LLC | Coal | 115 MW | 2019 |
The Edgecombe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,827 | $49,806 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 405 | $54,826 | 0.52 |
| Electric utilities | 66 | $101,988 | 1.64 |
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 Edgecombe County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through August 3, 2028 | In force | 2026-08 |
Edgecombe County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Edgecombe County, Halifax 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edgecombe County | 49,121 | ▼ 6.5% | 284 MW | 75 MW | — | 1 |
| Halifax County | 46,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 850 MW | 173 MW | — | — |
| Martin County | 21,601 | ▼ 4.5% | 216 MW | — | — | — |
| Nash County | 99,365 | ▼ 0.8% | 379 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pitt County | 182,936 | ▲ 4.9% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Wilson County | 81,150 | ▼ 3.4% | 131 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Edgecombe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Edgecombe County, North Carolina?
10 utilities have service territory in Edgecombe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Virginia Electric & Power Co, City of Wilson - (NC), City of Rocky Mount - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Is Rocky Mount in Edgecombe County?
Partly. 15,330 of Rocky Mount's 55,120 residents (28%) live in Edgecombe County; most of the city is in Nash County.
What county is Tarboro, NC in?
Tarboro is in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. About 10,979 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Edgecombe County?
9 operating plants with 284 MW of capacity. The largest is Fern Solar LLC (100 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Edgecombe County?
75 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 75 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Invenergy Services LLC.
Are there data centers in Edgecombe County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Edgecombe County.
Is Edgecombe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,827 jobs in 2025 against 15,863 in 2019 (-6.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 530 to 405.
Does Edgecombe County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Edgecombe County, 1 in force.