Forsyth County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Winston-Salem, Kernersville and Clemmons
Forsyth County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Forsyth County. Forsyth County is home to Winston-Salem, most of Kernersville (28,528 of its 29,128 residents), Clemmons and Lewisville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “Rejected six-month data center moratorium”. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Waste Management Piedmont LFGTE Project (other technologies, 1 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 21 MW of capacity, 68% of it other technologies.
Cities and towns in Forsyth County
Forsyth County is home to Winston-Salem, most of Kernersville (28,528 of its 29,128 residents), Clemmons and Lewisville.
- Kernersville also extends into Guilford County.
- King also extends into Stokes County.
- High Point also extends into Guilford County, Davidson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Germanton.
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 Forsyth County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 382,618 | 401,718 | ▲ 5.0% | 4th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 191,005 | 190,305 | ▼ 0.4% | 63rd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,319 | $69,731 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 985 | 934 | ▼ 5.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 337 | 184 | ▼ 45.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Forsyth County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.94¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Electrical contractors employ 934, down 5.2% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $68,096 a year. Employers here counted 190,305 jobs in 2025, down 0.4% from 2019. 401,718 people live here, up 5.0% since 2020, 4th of 100 North Carolina counties by population. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Who powers Forsyth County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Forsyth 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% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
| Town of High Point | Municipal | Bundled | 38,079 | 11.63¢ | 52% |
| Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 28,080 | 16.06¢ | 6% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 14 MW | 68% |
| Solar | 7 MW | 32% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredion Winston Salem | Ingredion Inc - Winston Salem | Other technologies | 8 MW | 1985 |
| South Winston Farm, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Salem Energy Systems LLC | NextEra Renewable Fuels, LLC | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2017 |
| Waste Management Piedmont LFGTE Project | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2011 |
| Germantown Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 2 MW | 2015 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management Piedmont LFGTE Project | Other technologies | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Forsyth County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 190,305 | $69,731 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 934 | $68,096 | 0.68 |
| Power and communication line construction | 120 | $80,332 | 0.39 |
| Data processing and hosting | 184 | $115,674 | 0.31 |
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 Forsyth County
2 data centers in Forsyth County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rejected six-month data center moratorium | Failed / vetoed | 2026-10 | |
| Project Iron Spur data center rezoning denied | In force | 2026-07 |
Forsyth County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Forsyth County, Stokes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forsyth County | 401,718 | ▼ 0.4% | 21 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
| Davidson County | 180,182 | ▲ 4.9% | 54 MW | 135 MW | — | 1 |
| Davie County | 45,855 | ▲ 13.4% | 53 MW | 60 MW | — | 1 |
| Guilford County | 562,234 | ▲ 2.3% | 44 MW | 40 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Rockingham County | 94,195 | ▼ 4.4% | 1,718 MW | — | — | — |
| Stokes County | 46,126 | ▼ 1.0% | 2,555 MW | 34 MW | — | 1 |
| Surry County | 72,287 | ▼ 0.8% | 92 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Yadkin County | 38,325 | ▼ 0.7% | 103 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of North Carolina
Forsyth County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Forsyth County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Forsyth County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Town of High Point, Surry-Yadkin Elec Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Winston-Salem, NC in?
Winston-Salem is in Forsyth County, North Carolina. About 257,271 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kernersville, NC in?
Most of Kernersville is in Forsyth County: 28,528 of its 29,128 residents, or 98%. The rest of the city lies in Guilford County.
What county is Clemmons, NC in?
Clemmons is in Forsyth County, North Carolina. About 22,808 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Forsyth County?
5 operating plants with 21 MW of capacity. The largest is Ingredion Winston Salem (8 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Forsyth County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Forsyth County.
Is Forsyth County adding jobs?
Employers counted 190,305 jobs in 2025 against 191,005 in 2019 (-0.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Forsyth County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Forsyth County, 1 in force.