Wilson County, North Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wilson, Elm City and Lucama
Wilson 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. Wilson County is home to Wilson, Elm City, Lucama and Stantonsburg. 20 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Duke Energy Progress - (NC) (battery storage). 20 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 2,977, down 2.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 131 MW of capacity, 98% of it solar. Employers here counted 34,906 jobs in 2025, down 3.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Wilson County
Wilson County is home to Wilson, Elm City, Lucama and Stantonsburg.
- Sharpsburg also extends into Nash County, Edgecombe County.
- Kenly also extends into Johnston 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 Wilson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in North Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 79,816 | 81,150 | ▲ 1.7% | 36th of 100 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 36,125 | 34,906 | ▼ 3.4% | 78th of 100 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,217 | $55,034 | ▲ 19.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,048 | 2,977 | ▼ 2.3% | 53rd of 60 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 5.0% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 20 MW | 15% of today's fleet | 24th of 30 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 351, at an average $66,361 a year. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019. Duke Energy Progress - (NC) is the largest utility serving Wilson County, one of 9 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.11¢ median for North Carolina utilities. 81,150 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Wilson County
Utilities with service territory in Wilson 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% |
| City of Wilson - (NC) | Municipal | Bundled | 32,078 | 12.13¢ | 28% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,523 | 12.76¢ | 22% |
| Edgecombe-Martin County E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,716 | 16.06¢ | 21% |
| Town of Black Creek - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Lucama - (NC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pitt & Greene Elec Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Sharpsburg - (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 14
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 128 MW | 98% |
| Petroleum | 3 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm City Solar Facility | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Solar | 40 MW | 2016 |
| Jackson Solar Farm | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Wilson Solar Farm 3 | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Wilson Solar Farm 4 | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Wilson Solar Farm 5 | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Wilson Solar Farm 6 | Headwater Energy, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elm City BESS | Batteries | 20 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Duke Energy Progress - (NC) |
The Wilson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 34,906 | $55,034 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,977 | $71,906 | 1.61 |
| Electrical contractors | 351 | $66,361 | 1.39 |
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 Wilson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wilson County. North Carolina has 62 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Edgecombe County, Nash County.
Wilson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wilson County, Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson County | 81,150 | ▼ 3.4% | 131 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Edgecombe County | 49,121 | ▼ 6.5% | 284 MW | 75 MW | — | 1 |
| Greene County | 20,700 | ▲ 4.5% | 27 MW | — | — | — |
| Johnston County | 256,448 | ▲ 29.2% | 112 MW | 73 MW | — | — |
| Nash County | 99,365 | ▼ 0.8% | 379 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pitt County | 182,936 | ▲ 4.9% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 122,278 | ▼ 1.4% | 2,181 MW | 80 MW | — | — |
More of North Carolina
Wilson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wilson County, North Carolina?
9 utilities have service territory in Wilson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Progress - (NC), City of Wilson - (NC), Tri-County Elec Member Corp (NC), Edgecombe-Martin County E M C. The largest, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), charged residential customers 15.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Wilson, NC in?
Wilson is in Wilson County, North Carolina. About 49,572 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wilson County?
14 operating plants with 131 MW of capacity. The largest is Elm City Solar Facility (40 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Wilson County?
20 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 20 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Duke Energy Progress - (NC).
Are there data centers in Wilson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wilson County.
Is Wilson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 34,906 jobs in 2025 against 36,125 in 2019 (-3.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,048 to 2,977.
Does Wilson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wilson County. North Carolina has 62 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.