Martin County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Williamston and Robersonville
No data center or power plant project is on record in Martin County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Martin County is home to Williamston and Robersonville. Construction employs 251, up 16.2% since 2019. 8 MW has retired here since 2019, including Domtar Paper Co LLC Plymouth NC (other technologies, 8 MW, 2020). 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 6,126 jobs in 2025, down 4.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Martin County
Martin County is home to Williamston and Robersonville.
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 Martin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,954 | 21,601 | ▼ 1.6% | 78th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,417 | 6,126 | ▼ 4.5% | 81st of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,388 | $40,822 | ▲ 26.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 216 | 251 | ▲ 16.2% | 31st of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — |
Its power plants have 216 MW of capacity, 53% of it other technologies. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 18, at an average $36,380 a year. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Martin County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.93¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 21,601 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Martin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Martin County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| City of Washington - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,547 | 13.01¢ | 40% |
| Edgecombe-Martin County E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,716 | 16.06¢ | 21% |
| Halifax Electric Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Hamilton - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Oak City - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Robersonville - (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 16
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 114 MW | 53% |
| Solar | 102 MW | 47% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domtar Paper Co LLC Plymouth NC | Domtar Paper Company LLC | Other technologies | 114 MW | 1976 |
| Meadows PV 1 | Fresh Air Energy XVIII, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2016 |
| Williamston Speight Solar, LLC | Williamston Speight Solar, LLC | Solar | 15 MW | 2016 |
| Everett PV1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2019 |
| Hardison Farm Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Everetts Wildcat Solar, LLC | Deriva Energy | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domtar Paper Co LLC Plymouth NC | Other technologies | 8 MW | 2020 |
The Martin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,126 | $40,822 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 251 | $59,784 | 0.77 |
| Electrical contractors | 18 | $36,380 | 0.41 |
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 Martin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Martin County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Beaufort County, Edgecombe County.
Martin County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Martin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin County | 21,601 | ▼ 4.5% | 216 MW | — | — | — |
| Beaufort County | 44,670 | ▲ 4.9% | 196 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bertie County | 17,086 | ▼ 6.2% | 45 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Edgecombe County | 49,121 | ▼ 6.5% | 284 MW | 75 MW | — | 1 |
| Halifax County | 46,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 850 MW | 173 MW | — | — |
| Pitt County | 182,936 | ▲ 4.9% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 10,638 | ▼ 3.0% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Martin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Martin County, North Carolina?
7 utilities have service territory in Martin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, City of Washington - (NC), Edgecombe-Martin County E M C, Halifax Electric Member Corp. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 13.93¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Martin County?
16 operating plants with 216 MW of capacity. The largest is Domtar Paper Co LLC Plymouth NC (114 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Martin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Martin County.
Is Martin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,126 jobs in 2025 against 6,417 in 2019 (-4.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 216 to 251.
Does Martin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Martin County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.