Warren County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Warren County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Warren County is home to Norlina and Warrenton. Construction employs 120, up 34.8% since 2019. Next door, Brunswick County, Virginia, has 1 data center and 903 MW of planned generation. 124 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 2,921 jobs in 2025, down 4.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Warren County
Warren County is home to Norlina and Warrenton.
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 Warren County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,606 | 18,898 | ▲ 1.6% | 83rd of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,065 | 2,921 | ▼ 4.7% | 82nd of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,225 | $44,096 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 89 | 120 | ▲ 34.8% | 13th of 60 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16 | 10 | ▼ 37.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.5% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 124 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 154 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Warren County, one of 4 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 4.5% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. 18,898 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 10, down 37.5% since 2019 against up 19.7% statewide, at an average $44,785 a year.
Who powers Warren County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +124 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Warren 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% |
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 108,656 | 13.93¢ | 24% |
| Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 135 | 14.40¢ | 0% |
| Halifax Electric Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 154 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawtree Solar | Hawtree Creek Farm Solar, LLC | Solar | 65 MW | 2021 |
| Virginia Line Solar, LLC | Virginia Line Solar, LLC | Solar | 35 MW | 2023 |
| Five Forks Solar | Five Forks Solar | Solar | 20 MW | 2019 |
| Bolton Farm | Strata Manager, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2013 |
| Red Hill Solar Center, LLC | SRE Utility Solar 1, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2014 |
| Sun Devil Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
The Warren County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,921 | $44,096 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 120 | $51,727 | 0.78 |
| Electrical contractors | 10 | $44,785 | 0.47 |
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 Warren County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Warren County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Mecklenburg County, Nash County, Northampton County.
Warren County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Warren County, Brunswick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren County | 18,898 | ▼ 4.7% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
| Brunswick County VA | 15,727 | ▼ 3.1% | 1,483 MW | 903 MW | 1 | — |
| Franklin County | 82,037 | ▲ 19.6% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Halifax County | 46,534 | ▼ 3.5% | 850 MW | 173 MW | — | — |
| Mecklenburg County VA | 30,747 | ▲ 4.2% | 487 MW | — | 18 | 1 |
| Nash County | 99,365 | ▼ 0.8% | 379 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Northampton County | 16,491 | ▼ 14.3% | 363 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Vance County | 42,638 | ▼ 1.6% | 108 MW | — | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Warren County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Warren County, North Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Warren County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Virginia Electric & Power Co, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Halifax Electric Member Corp. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Warren County?
11 operating plants with 154 MW of capacity. The largest is Hawtree Solar (65 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Warren County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Warren County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Brunswick County.
Is Warren County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,921 jobs in 2025 against 3,065 in 2019 (-4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 89 to 120.
Does Warren County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Warren County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.