Guilford County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Greensboro, High Point and Summerfield
The data center boom is not abstract in Guilford County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Guilford County. Guilford County is home to Greensboro, most of High Point (112,858 of its 120,571 residents), Summerfield and Oak Ridge. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed data center moratorium of up to 180 days”. 40 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by West River Solar, LLC (solar). 40 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 13,865, up 15.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Guilford County
Guilford County is home to Greensboro, most of High Point (112,858 of its 120,571 residents), Summerfield and Oak Ridge.
- High Point also extends into Davidson County.
- Gibsonville also extends into Alamance County.
- Burlington also extends into Alamance County.
- Kernersville also extends into Forsyth County.
- Archdale also extends into Randolph County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Forest Oaks, McLeansville.
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 Guilford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 538,726 | 562,234 | ▲ 4.4% | 3rd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 285,872 | 292,379 | ▲ 2.3% | 49th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,739 | $63,939 | ▲ 28.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,049 | 13,865 | ▲ 15.1% | 32nd of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,983 | 2,235 | ▲ 12.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 189 | 226 | ▲ 19.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 447 | 357 | ▼ 20.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 40 MW | 91% of today's fleet | 19th of 30 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 2,235, up 12.7% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $81,376 a year. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including DE Solar 657 Brigham Rd (solar, 1 MW, 2026). 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 44 MW of capacity, 55% of it solar. Employers here counted 292,379 jobs in 2025, up 2.3% from 2019. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Guilford 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. 562,234 people live here, up 4.4% since 2020, 3rd of 100 North Carolina counties by population. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019.
Who powers Guilford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Guilford 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% |
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
| EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 121,995 | 11.54¢ | 23% |
| Town of High Point | Municipal | Bundled | 38,079 | 11.63¢ | 52% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 24 MW | 55% |
| Petroleum | 15 MW | 33% |
| Battery storage | 4 MW | 8% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastside WWTP | City Of High Point - (NC) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2004 |
| Beth | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
| Nick Solar | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
| White Street Renewables | White Street Renewables LLC | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2019 |
| Charlie | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 4 MW | 2014 |
| Lotus | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 4 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West River Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 40 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | West River Solar, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE Solar 657 Brigham Rd | Solar | 1 MW | 2026 |
The Guilford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 292,379 | $63,939 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 13,865 | $80,008 | 0.90 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,235 | $81,376 | 1.06 |
| Power and communication line construction | 226 | $63,192 | 0.48 |
| Data processing and hosting | 357 | $140,992 | 0.39 |
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 Guilford County
1 data center in Guilford County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed data center moratorium of up to 180 days | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Guilford County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Guilford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford County | 562,234 | ▲ 2.3% | 44 MW | 40 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Alamance County | 186,177 | ▲ 6.2% | 33 MW | 35 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Davidson County | 180,182 | ▲ 4.9% | 54 MW | 135 MW | — | 1 |
| Forsyth County | 401,718 | ▼ 0.4% | 21 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
| Randolph County | 149,516 | ▲ 0.6% | 71 MW | — | — | — |
| Rockingham County | 94,195 | ▼ 4.4% | 1,718 MW | — | — | — |
| Stokes County | 46,126 | ▼ 1.0% | 2,555 MW | 34 MW | — | 1 |
More of North Carolina
Guilford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Guilford County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Guilford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Town of High Point. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Greensboro, NC in?
Greensboro is in Guilford County, North Carolina. About 308,667 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is High Point, NC in?
Most of High Point is in Guilford County: 112,858 of its 120,571 residents, or 94%. The rest of the city lies in Davidson County.
What county is Summerfield, NC in?
Summerfield is in Guilford County, North Carolina. About 11,327 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Guilford County?
12 operating plants with 44 MW of capacity. The largest is Eastside WWTP (5 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Guilford County?
40 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 40 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is West River Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Guilford County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Guilford County.
Is Guilford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 292,379 jobs in 2025 against 285,872 in 2019 (+2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 12,049 to 13,865.
Does Guilford County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Guilford County, 0 in force.