Greenwood County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Greenwood, Ninety Six and Ware Shoals
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Greenwood County. Greenwood County is home to Greenwood, Ninety Six and Ware Shoals. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through July 21, 2027”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Greenwood County Data Center Moratorium. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 15 MW has retired here since 2019, including Buzzard Roost (hydro, 15 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in Greenwood County
Greenwood County is home to Greenwood, Ninety Six and Ware Shoals.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bradley, Cokesbury, Coronaca, Promised Land.
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 Greenwood County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 69,329 | 70,379 | ▲ 1.5% | 21st of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 29,090 | 28,148 | ▼ 3.2% | 32nd of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,648 | $55,032 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — |
8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 28,148 jobs in 2025, down 3.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Greenwood 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. 70,379 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Greenwood County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Greenwood 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% |
| Aiken Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,460 | 15.53¢ | 14% |
| Greenwood CPW | Municipal | Bundled | 11,753 | 9.04¢ | 60% |
| Little River Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta Solar | Augusta Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Briarwood | Briarwood Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
| Woodfields Solar | Woodfields Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2022 |
| Gold Mine | Gold Mine Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buzzard Roost | Hydro | 15 MW | 2021 |
The Greenwood County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 28,148 | $55,032 | 1.00 |
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 Greenwood County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through July 21, 2027 | In force | 2026-01 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwood County Data Center Moratorium | moratorium in force | — |
Greenwood County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Greenwood County, McCormick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenwood County | 70,379 | ▼ 3.2% | 8 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Abbeville County | 24,836 | ▲ 0.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Edgefield County | 29,808 | ▲ 10.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Laurens County | 71,848 | ▼ 4.6% | 47 MW | 45 MW | — | 1 |
| McCormick County | 10,215 | ▲ 18.2% | 362 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Newberry County | 39,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 3 MW | 71 MW | — | 2 |
| Saluda County | 19,680 | ▼ 5.2% | 160 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Greenwood County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Greenwood County, South Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Greenwood County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Aiken Electric Coop Inc, Greenwood CPW, Little River Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Greenwood, SC in?
Greenwood is in Greenwood County, South Carolina. About 22,745 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Greenwood County?
4 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Augusta Solar (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Greenwood County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Greenwood County.
Is Greenwood County adding jobs?
Employers counted 28,148 jobs in 2025 against 29,090 in 2019 (-3.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Greenwood County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Greenwood County, 1 in force.