Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Charlotte, Huntersville and Cornelius
The data center boom is not abstract in Mecklenburg County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 26 data centers in Mecklenburg County, 31% of North Carolina's total. Mecklenburg County is home to Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius and Matthews. 2 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by McDowell Creek Solar LLC (solar). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 42,540, up 18.4% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,456 MW of capacity, 99% of it nuclear, the 6th largest fleet in North Carolina.
Cities and towns in Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County is home to Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius and Matthews.
- Davidson also extends into Iredell County.
- Stallings also extends into Union 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 Mecklenburg County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,116,183 | 1,233,383 | ▲ 10.5% | 2nd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 715,297 | 791,613 | ▲ 10.7% | 20th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $68,394 | $91,381 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35,914 | 42,540 | ▲ 18.4% | 26th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,195 | 4,799 | ▲ 14.4% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 453 | 368 | ▼ 18.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,194 | 1,640 | ▲ 37.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,768 | 2,769 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.7% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 30th of 30 by size |
Employers here counted 791,613 jobs in 2025, up 10.7% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 4,799, up 14.4% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $87,807 a year. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including DE Solar 10240 Old Dowd Rd (solar, 2 MW, 2026). 1,233,383 people live here, up 10.5% since 2020, 2nd of 100 North Carolina counties by population. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Mecklenburg County, one of 7 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 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Who powers Mecklenburg County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mecklenburg 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% |
| Union Electric Membership Corp - (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 84,602 | 13.37¢ | 12% |
| Town of Huntersville - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 8,080 | 12.12¢ | 22% |
| York Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15 | 12.35¢ | 33% |
| Town of Cornelius - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Pineville - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 2,441 MW | 99% |
| Other technologies | 9 MW | 0% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McGuire | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Nuclear | 2,441 MW | 1981 |
| Orbit Energy Charlotte | Anaergia | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2016 |
| Reventure Park | Clean Energy LLC | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2014 |
| Cornelius Delivery No 1 | North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2007 |
| Huntersville Delivery No 2 | North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2007 |
| Pineville Delivery 2 | North Carolina Mun Power Agny #1 | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2006 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDowell Creek Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | McDowell Creek Solar LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE Solar 10240 Old Dowd Rd | Solar | 2 MW | 2026 |
The Mecklenburg County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 791,613 | $91,381 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 42,540 | $91,524 | 1.01 |
| Electrical contractors | 4,799 | $87,807 | 0.84 |
| Power and communication line construction | 368 | $94,387 | 0.29 |
| Electric utilities | 1,640 | $149,579 | 0.77 |
| Data processing and hosting | 2,769 | $159,652 | 1.13 |
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 Mecklenburg County
26 data centers in Mecklenburg County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Mecklenburg County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Mecklenburg County, York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 1,233,383 | ▲ 10.7% | 2,456 MW | 2 MW | 26 | — |
| Cabarrus County | 249,725 | ▲ 19.1% | 128 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gaston County | 246,558 | ▲ 8.9% | 195 MW | 240 MW | — | — |
| Iredell County | 211,798 | ▲ 7.1% | 43 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Lancaster County SC | 114,296 | ▲ 12.0% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 98,654 | ▲ 18.6% | 2,519 MW | 54 MW | — | — |
| Union County | 267,674 | ▲ 20.0% | 107 MW | 12 MW | 1 | — |
| York County SC | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
More of North Carolina
Mecklenburg County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina?
7 utilities have service territory in Mecklenburg County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, EnergyUnited Elec Member Corp, Union Electric Membership Corp - (NC), Town of Huntersville - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.94¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Charlotte, NC in?
Charlotte is in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. About 964,784 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Huntersville, NC in?
Huntersville is in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. About 68,535 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Cornelius, NC in?
Cornelius is in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. About 35,094 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Mecklenburg County?
6 operating plants with 2,456 MW of capacity. The largest is McGuire (2,441 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Mecklenburg County?
2 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is McDowell Creek Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Mecklenburg County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 26 data centers in Mecklenburg County.
Is Mecklenburg County adding jobs?
Employers counted 791,613 jobs in 2025 against 715,297 in 2019 (+10.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 35,914 to 42,540.
Does Mecklenburg County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mecklenburg County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.