Kershaw County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Camden and Elgin
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Kershaw County. Kershaw County is home to Camden and Elgin. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Construction employs 1,052, up 11.1% since 2019. 11 MW has retired here since 2019, including Camden South Carolina (natural gas, 11 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Kershaw County
Kershaw County is home to Camden and Elgin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Abney Crossroads, Boykin, East Camden, Lugoff.
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 Kershaw County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,590 | 73,166 | ▲ 11.6% | 19th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,705 | 18,585 | ▲ 5.0% | 20th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,651 | $50,752 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 947 | 1,052 | ▲ 11.1% | 14th of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 11 MW | — |
Employers here counted 18,585 jobs in 2025, up 5.0% from 2019. 73,166 people live here, up 11.6% since 2020. Its power plants have 110 MW of capacity, 83% of it hydro. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Kershaw County, one of 7 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 Kershaw County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −11 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kershaw 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% |
| Duke Energy Progress - (NC) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 143,713 | 14.88¢ | 28% |
| Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,397 | 14.35¢ | 13% |
| Black River Electric Coop, Inc - (SC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,610 | 13.47¢ | 18% |
| Lynches River Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,363 | 15.71¢ | 12% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (SC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,672 | 18.51¢ | 13% |
| City of Camden | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 90 MW | 83% |
| Natural gas | 19 MW | 17% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wateree Hydro | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 90 MW | 1919 |
| Camden South Carolina | Invista | Natural gas | 19 MW | 1993 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camden South Carolina | Natural gas | 11 MW | 2019 |
The Kershaw County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,585 | $50,752 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,052 | $58,172 | 1.07 |
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 Kershaw County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | In force | 2026-09 |
Kershaw County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Kershaw County, Darlington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kershaw County | 73,166 | ▲ 5.0% | 110 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Chesterfield County | 44,740 | ▼ 9.7% | 77 MW | 151 MW | — | 1 |
| Darlington County | 62,888 | ▼ 3.9% | 1,162 MW | 425 MW | — | — |
| Fairfield County | 20,340 | ▲ 17.5% | 1,763 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Lancaster County | 114,296 | ▲ 12.0% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Lee County | 15,730 | ▼ 2.5% | 50 MW | 60 MW | — | — |
| Richland County | 434,956 | ▲ 2.7% | 992 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Sumter County | 105,067 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Kershaw County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kershaw County, South Carolina?
7 utilities have service territory in Kershaw County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Duke Energy Progress - (NC), Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc, Black River Electric Coop, Inc - (SC). The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Kershaw County?
2 operating plants with 110 MW of capacity. The largest is Wateree Hydro (90 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Kershaw County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kershaw County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Darlington County.
Is Kershaw County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,585 jobs in 2025 against 17,705 in 2019 (+5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 947 to 1,052.
Does Kershaw County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Kershaw County, 1 in force.