# 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.

26
data centers on the SAVRN Data Center Map, 31% of North Carolina's

2 MW
of new generation planned here, solar leading

2,456 MW
of operating power plants, mostly nuclear

## Cities and towns in Mecklenburg County

Mecklenburg County is home to Charlotte, Huntersville, Cornelius and Matthews.

Charlotte964,784 residents
Huntersville68,535 residents
Cornelius35,094 residents
Matthews32,769 residents
Mint Hill29,476 residents
Davidson16,247 residents · 98% of the city
Pineville11,851 residents
Stallings527 residents · 3% of the city
- Davidson also extends into [Iredell County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/iredell-county).
- Stallings also extends into [Union County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/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

| 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

### 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 

| 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 

| 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](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/cabarrus-county) | 249,725 | ▲ 19.1% | 128 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gaston County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/gaston-county) | 246,558 | ▲ 8.9% | 195 MW | 240 MW | — | — |
| Iredell County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/iredell-county) | 211,798 | ▲ 7.1% | 43 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Lancaster County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/south-carolina/lancaster-county) SC | 114,296 | ▲ 12.0% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/lincoln-county) | 98,654 | ▲ 18.6% | 2,519 MW | 54 MW | — | — |
| Union County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/union-county) | 267,674 | ▲ 20.0% | 107 MW | 12 MW | 1 | — |
| York County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/south-carolina/york-county) SC | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |

## More of North Carolina

[All North Carolina countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina)[Union County267,674 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/union-county)[Cabarrus County249,725 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/cabarrus-county)[Gaston County246,558 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/gaston-county)[Iredell County211,798 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/iredell-county)[Lincoln County98,654 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/lincoln-county)

## 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.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/mecklenburg-county
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).