Richmond County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rockingham and Hamlet
Richmond County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Richmond County. Richmond County is home to Rockingham, Hamlet, Ellerbe and Dobbins Heights. Its power plants have 2,682 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas, the 3rd largest fleet in North Carolina. Construction employs 429, down 20.4% since 2019. 24 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Richmond County
Richmond County is home to Rockingham, Hamlet, Ellerbe and Dobbins Heights.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cordova, East Rockingham, Roberdel.
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 Richmond County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,729 | 42,041 | ▼ 1.6% | 62nd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,566 | 13,571 | ● 0.0% | 60th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,963 | $47,857 | ▲ 33.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 539 | 429 | ▼ 20.4% | 57th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 151 | 146 | ▼ 3.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 24 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 146, down 3.3% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $62,269 a year. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Richmond County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Employers here counted 13,571 jobs in 2025, unchanged from 2019. 42,041 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Richmond County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +24 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Richmond County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,356,079 | 15.54¢ | 36% |
| Pee Dee Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,396 | 14.77¢ | 29% |
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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,589 MW | 97% |
| Solar | 86 MW | 3% |
| Battery storage | 8 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sherwood H Smith Jr Energy Complex | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Natural gas | 2,245 MW | 2001 |
| Hamlet Generating Facility | North Carolina El Member Corp | Natural gas | 344 MW | 2007 |
| Eden Solar LLC | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 48 MW | 2015 |
| ESA Hamlet NC , LLC | SunStrong Management | Solar | 5 MW | 2021 |
| McKinney BESS | North Carolina El Member Corp | Battery storage | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Pecan PV1 | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
The Richmond County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,571 | $47,857 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 429 | $64,643 | 0.60 |
| Electrical contractors | 146 | $62,269 | 1.49 |
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 Richmond County
1 data center in Richmond County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Richmond County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Richmond County, Scotland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richmond County | 42,041 | ● 0.0% | 2,682 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Anson County | 21,758 | ▼ 9.4% | 576 MW | — | — | — |
| Chesterfield County SC | 44,740 | ▼ 9.7% | 77 MW | 151 MW | — | 1 |
| Hoke County | 56,939 | ▲ 6.7% | 35 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Marlboro County SC | 25,488 | ▼ 20.5% | 63 MW | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 26,403 | ▼ 5.4% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Moore County | 110,619 | ▲ 15.6% | 49 MW | — | — | — |
| Scotland County | 33,322 | ▲ 4.7% | 149 MW | 160 MW | — | — |
| Stanly County | 68,830 | ▲ 22.6% | 282 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Richmond County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Richmond County, North Carolina?
2 utilities have service territory in Richmond County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Pee Dee Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Richmond County?
14 operating plants with 2,682 MW of capacity. The largest is Sherwood H Smith Jr Energy Complex (2,245 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Richmond County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Richmond County.
Is Richmond County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,571 jobs in 2025 against 13,566 in 2019 (+0.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 539 to 429.
Does Richmond County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Richmond County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.