Newberry County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newberry, Whitmire and Prosperity
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Newberry County. Newberry County is home to Newberry, Whitmire and Prosperity. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through July 16, 2027”. 71 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (solar). Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Construction employs 869, up 11.3% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Newberry County
Newberry County is home to Newberry, Whitmire and Prosperity.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Helena.
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 Newberry County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,736 | 39,561 | ▲ 4.8% | 26th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,597 | 14,441 | ▼ 1.1% | 27th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,014 | $50,566 | ▲ 29.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 781 | 869 | ▲ 11.3% | 13th of 25 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 71 MW | 2142% of today's fleet | 11th of 16 by size |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Newberry 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. Employers here counted 14,441 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019. 39,561 people live here, up 4.8% since 2020.
Who powers Newberry County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Newberry 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% |
| Laurens Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 58,438 | 14.66¢ | 20% |
| Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,463 | 14.88¢ | 22% |
| Broad River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,140 | 15.91¢ | 11% |
| Newberry Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,970 | 16.32¢ | 30% |
| City of Newberry - (SC) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Prosperity - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 3 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecate Energy West Newberry, LLC | Hecate Energy West Newberry, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hudson Place Solar Plant | Solar Photovoltaic | 71 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC |
The Newberry County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,441 | $50,566 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 869 | $66,584 | 1.14 |
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 Newberry County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through July 16, 2027 | In force | 2026-07 | |
| Newberry County (1-year moratorium + land-purchase denial), SC data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Newberry County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Newberry County, Fairfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newberry County | 39,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 3 MW | 71 MW | — | 2 |
| Fairfield County | 20,340 | ▲ 17.5% | 1,763 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Greenwood County | 70,379 | ▼ 3.2% | 8 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Laurens County | 71,848 | ▼ 4.6% | 47 MW | 45 MW | — | 1 |
| Lexington County | 317,588 | ▲ 9.9% | 708 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Richland County | 434,956 | ▲ 2.7% | 992 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Saluda County | 19,680 | ▼ 5.2% | 160 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 26,799 | ▼ 12.4% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Newberry County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Newberry County, South Carolina?
7 utilities have service territory in Newberry County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Laurens Electric Coop, Inc, Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc, Broad River Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Newberry, SC in?
Newberry is in Newberry County, South Carolina. About 10,891 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Newberry County?
1 operating plant with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Hecate Energy West Newberry, LLC (3 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Newberry County?
71 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
Are there data centers in Newberry County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Newberry County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Richland County.
Is Newberry County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,441 jobs in 2025 against 14,597 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 781 to 869.
Does Newberry County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Newberry County, 2 in force.