Fairfield County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Winnsboro
Fairfield County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 197, up 48.1% since 2019. Fairfield County is home to Winnsboro. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. 4 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (battery storage). 4 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 6,407 jobs in 2025, up 17.5% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 46 South Carolina counties).
Cities and towns in Fairfield County
Fairfield County is home to Winnsboro.
- Blythewood also extends into Richland County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Winnsboro Mills.
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 Fairfield County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,892 | 20,340 | ▼ 2.6% | 39th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,454 | 6,407 | ▲ 17.5% | 3rd of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,443 | $60,039 | ▲ 19.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 133 | 197 | ▲ 48.1% | 3rd of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 5.2% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 131 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 84 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 4 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 16th of 16 by size |
Its power plants have 1,763 MW of capacity, 58% of it nuclear, the 6th largest fleet in South Carolina. 84 MW has retired here since 2019, including Parr GT (natural gas, 84 MW, 2023). Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 131 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc is the largest utility serving Fairfield County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024. 20,340 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Fairfield County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +47 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fairfield County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 696,385 | 14.59¢ | 36% |
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 568,586 | 13.99¢ | 28% |
| Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,397 | 14.35¢ | 13% |
| Newberry Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,970 | 16.32¢ | 30% |
| Town of Winnsboro - (SC) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 1,030 MW | 58% |
| Hydro | 602 MW | 34% |
| Natural gas | 131 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V C Summer | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Nuclear | 1,030 MW | 1984 |
| Fairfield Pumped Storage | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Hydro | 587 MW | 1978 |
| Parr GT | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Natural gas | 131 MW | 2025 |
| Parr Hydro | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Hydro | 15 MW | 1914 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longtown Energy Storage | Batteries | 4 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parr GT | Natural gas | 84 MW | 2023 |
The Fairfield County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,407 | $60,039 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 197 | $71,625 | 0.58 |
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 Fairfield County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-09 |
Fairfield County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Fairfield County, Richland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield County | 20,340 | ▲ 17.5% | 1,763 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Chester County | 33,001 | ▲ 7.7% | 99 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Kershaw County | 73,166 | ▲ 5.0% | 110 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lancaster County | 114,296 | ▲ 12.0% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Newberry County | 39,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 3 MW | 71 MW | — | 2 |
| Richland County | 434,956 | ▲ 2.7% | 992 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Union County | 26,799 | ▼ 12.4% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Fairfield County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fairfield County, South Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Fairfield County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc, Newberry Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Fairfield County?
4 operating plants with 1,763 MW of capacity. The largest is V C Summer (1,030 MW, nuclear).
How much new power is planned in Fairfield County?
4 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 4 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
Are there data centers in Fairfield County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fairfield County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Richland County.
Is Fairfield County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,407 jobs in 2025 against 5,454 in 2019 (+17.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 133 to 197.
Does Fairfield County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Fairfield County, 1 in force.