Robeson County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lumberton, Red Springs and Pembroke
No data center or power plant project is on record in Robeson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Robeson County is home to Lumberton, Red Springs, Pembroke and Fairmont. 108 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by AES Clean Energy (solar), the 7th largest pipeline among North Carolina's counties. Next door, Horry County, South Carolina, has 3 data centers. 17 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 37,260 jobs in 2025, down 5.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Robeson County
Robeson County is home to Lumberton, Red Springs, Pembroke and Fairmont.
- Maxton also extends into Scotland County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Barker Ten Mile, Elrod, Prospect, Raemon, Rex, Shannon, Wakulla.
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 Robeson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 115,980 | 119,941 | ▲ 3.4% | 26th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39,344 | 37,260 | ▼ 5.3% | 84th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,746 | $47,214 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.3% | 5.1% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 17 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 108 MW | 26% of today's fleet | 7th of 30 by size |
Its power plants have 419 MW of capacity, 52% of it solar. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Robeson County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 5.3% in 2019. 119,941 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers Robeson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +17 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Robeson 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% |
| Brunswick Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 105,562 | 13.66¢ | 25% |
| Lumbee River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 64,396 | 12.81¢ | 15% |
| City of Lumberton - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 9,983 | 13.83¢ | 50% |
| Town of Red Springs - (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 46
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 219 MW | 52% |
| Petroleum | 163 MW | 39% |
| Other technologies | 37 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W H Weatherspoon | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Petroleum | 163 MW | 1970 |
| Lumberton | NC Renewable Power - Lumberton LLC | Other technologies | 35 MW | 1985 |
| Innovative Solar 47 | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 34 MW | 2017 |
| Innovative Solar 55 | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 6 MW | 2017 |
| Floyd Solar, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 6 MW | 2016 |
| Baltimore Church Solar, LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robeson Solar I | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | AES Clean Energy |
| Robeson Solar I | Batteries | 28 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | AES Clean Energy |
The Robeson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 37,260 | $47,214 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 149 | $107,891 | 1.48 |
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 Robeson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Robeson County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Columbus County, Cumberland County.
Robeson County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Robeson County, Horry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robeson County | 119,941 | ▼ 5.3% | 419 MW | 108 MW | — | — |
| Bladen County | 30,007 | ▼ 5.3% | 372 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
| Columbus County | 50,487 | ▼ 6.4% | 166 MW | 25 MW | — | 1 |
| Cumberland County | 338,473 | ▲ 1.5% | 455 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dillon County SC | 27,458 | ▲ 2.8% | 15 MW | 81 MW | — | — |
| Hoke County | 56,939 | ▲ 6.7% | 35 MW | 40 MW | — | — |
| Horry County SC | 427,551 | ▲ 9.2% | 174 MW | 74 MW | 3 | — |
| Marlboro County SC | 25,488 | ▼ 20.5% | 63 MW | — | — | — |
| Scotland County | 33,322 | ▲ 4.7% | 149 MW | 160 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Robeson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Robeson County, North Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Robeson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Brunswick Electric Member Corp, Lumbee River Elec Member Corp, City of Lumberton - (NC). The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lumberton, NC in?
Lumberton is in Robeson County, North Carolina. About 18,955 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Robeson County?
46 operating plants with 419 MW of capacity. The largest is W H Weatherspoon (163 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Robeson County?
108 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is AES Clean Energy.
Are there data centers in Robeson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Robeson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Horry County.
Is Robeson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 37,260 jobs in 2025 against 39,344 in 2019 (-5.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Robeson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Robeson County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.