Lincoln County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lincolnton
Lincoln County hosts some of the generating capacity North Carolina runs on. Lincoln County is home to Lincolnton. Electrical contractors employ 264, up 43.5% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $62,485 a year. Employers here counted 28,818 jobs in 2025, up 18.6% from 2019. 54 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (solar). Its power plants have 2,519 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas, the 5th largest fleet in North Carolina.
Cities and towns in Lincoln County
Lincoln County is home to Lincolnton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Crouse, Denver, Iron Station, Lowesville, Westport.
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 Lincoln County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 87,153 | 98,654 | ▲ 13.2% | 31st of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,295 | 28,818 | ▲ 18.6% | 11th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,816 | $56,657 | ▲ 32.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 184 | 264 | ▲ 43.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 402 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 54 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 17th of 30 by size |
Next door, Mecklenburg County has 26 data centers. 402 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. 98,654 people live here, up 13.2% since 2020. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Lincoln 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. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Who powers Lincoln County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +402 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lincoln 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% |
| Rutherford Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 70,743 | 13.13¢ | 14% |
| City of Lincolnton - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,156 MW | 86% |
| Hydro | 352 MW | 14% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 0% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Combustion | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Natural gas | 2,156 MW | 1995 |
| Cowans Ford | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 350 MW | 1963 |
| Freemont Solar Center LLC | Heelstone Energy Holdings, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Haynes Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2013 |
| High Shoals Hydro (NC) | Central Rivers Power US, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1934 |
| Lincolnton High School | North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2006 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark Creek Solar Plant | Solar Photovoltaic | 40 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
| Clark Creek Solar Plant | Batteries | 14 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
The Lincoln County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,818 | $56,657 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 264 | $62,485 | 1.27 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6 | $121,135 | 0.07 |
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 Lincoln County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lincoln County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide.
Lincoln County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lincoln County, Mecklenburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln County | 98,654 | ▲ 18.6% | 2,519 MW | 54 MW | — | — |
| Burke County | 88,655 | ● 0.0% | 48 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Catawba County | 170,172 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,328 MW | 50 MW | 12 | — |
| Cleveland County | 103,325 | ▲ 0.9% | 2,982 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gaston County | 246,558 | ▲ 8.9% | 195 MW | 240 MW | — | — |
| Iredell County | 211,798 | ▲ 7.1% | 43 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Mecklenburg County | 1,233,383 | ▲ 10.7% | 2,456 MW | 2 MW | 26 | — |
More of North Carolina
Lincoln County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lincoln County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Lincoln County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Rutherford Elec Member Corp, City of Lincolnton - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lincolnton, NC in?
Lincolnton is in Lincoln County, North Carolina. About 12,465 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lincoln County?
6 operating plants with 2,519 MW of capacity. The largest is Lincoln Combustion (2,156 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Lincoln County?
54 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
Are there data centers in Lincoln County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lincoln County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mecklenburg County.
Is Lincoln County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,818 jobs in 2025 against 24,295 in 2019 (+18.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lincoln County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lincoln County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.