Greenville County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Greenville, Greer and Mauldin
Greenville County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Greenville County, 11% of South Carolina's total. Greenville County is home to Greenville, most of Greer (35,669 of its 50,007 residents), Mauldin and Simpsonville. Construction employs 18,515, up 40.8% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 3,031, up 59.0% since 2019 against up 10.4% statewide, at an average $82,971 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Greenville County
Greenville County is home to Greenville, most of Greer (35,669 of its 50,007 residents), Mauldin and Simpsonville.
- Greer also extends into Spartanburg County.
- Fountain Inn also extends into Laurens County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Berea, Caesars Head, City View, Conestee, Dunean, Five Forks, Gantt, Golden Grove, Judson, Parker, Piedmont, Sans Souci, Slater-Marietta, Taylors, The Cliffs Valley, Tigerville, Wade Hampton, Ware Place, Welcome.
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 Greenville County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 527,244 | 583,125 | ▲ 10.6% | 1st of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 279,531 | 302,324 | ▲ 8.2% | 14th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,226 | $65,967 | ▲ 34.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,152 | 18,515 | ▲ 40.8% | 4th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,906 | 3,031 | ▲ 59.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 491 | 1,508 | ▲ 207.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 149 | 205 | ▲ 37.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 348 | 377 | ▲ 8.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Employers here counted 302,324 jobs in 2025, up 8.2% from 2019. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Enoree Phase II Landfill Gas Recovery (other technologies, 3 MW, 2024). 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 583,125 people live here, up 10.6% since 2020, 1st of 46 South Carolina counties by population. Its power plants have 13 MW of capacity, 37% of it hydro. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Greenville County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.99¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.59¢ median for South Carolina utilities.
Who powers Greenville County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Greenville County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 568,586 | 13.99¢ | 28% |
| Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc - (SC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 67,553 | 18.94¢ | 17% |
| Laurens Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 58,438 | 14.66¢ | 20% |
| Greer Commission of Public Wks | Municipal | Bundled | 24,893 | 11.80¢ | 45% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 5 MW | 37% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 32% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 31% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Plant | Bob Jones University | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1978 |
| Saluda Dam | Northbrook Carolina Hydro LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1996 |
| Berry Road Solar | RPSC Solar 3, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
| White Horse Solar A | White Horse Solar A | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Boyds Mill Hydro | Northbrook Carolina Hydro LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1996 |
| Piedmont Hydro Power Project | Central Rivers Power US, LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1989 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enoree Phase II Landfill Gas Recovery | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2024 |
The Greenville County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 302,324 | $65,967 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 18,515 | $92,903 | 1.16 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,031 | $82,971 | 1.39 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,508 | $124,241 | 3.09 |
| Electric utilities | 205 | $113,092 | 0.25 |
| Data processing and hosting | 377 | $106,364 | 0.40 |
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 Greenville County
4 data centers in Greenville County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Greenville County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Greenville County, Anderson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville County | 583,125 | ▲ 8.2% | 13 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Abbeville County | 24,836 | ▲ 0.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Anderson County | 219,930 | ▲ 9.3% | 2,133 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Henderson County NC | 122,375 | ▲ 10.0% | 12 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Laurens County | 71,848 | ▼ 4.6% | 47 MW | 45 MW | — | 1 |
| Pickens County | 139,198 | ▲ 9.5% | 950 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County NC | 20,533 | ▲ 11.4% | 5 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Spartanburg County | 380,857 | ▲ 6.7% | 63 MW | — | 3 | 3 |
| Transylvania County NC | 34,211 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
More of South Carolina
Greenville County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Greenville County, South Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Greenville County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc - (SC), Laurens Electric Coop, Inc, Greer Commission of Public Wks. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Greenville, SC in?
Greenville is in Greenville County, South Carolina. About 75,310 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Greer, SC in?
Most of Greer is in Greenville County: 35,669 of its 50,007 residents, or 71%. The rest of the city lies in Spartanburg County.
What county is Mauldin, SC in?
Mauldin is in Greenville County, South Carolina. About 31,465 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Greenville County?
6 operating plants with 13 MW of capacity. The largest is Central Plant (4 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Greenville County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Greenville County.
Is Greenville County adding jobs?
Employers counted 302,324 jobs in 2025 against 279,531 in 2019 (+8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 13,152 to 18,515.
Does Greenville County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Greenville County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.