Pickens County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Easley, Clemson and Central
Pickens County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Pickens County is home to Easley, Clemson, Central and Liberty. Next door, Greenville County has 4 data centers. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 40,585 jobs in 2025, up 9.5% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 46 South Carolina counties). Its power plants have 950 MW of capacity, 98% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Pickens County
Pickens County is home to Easley, Clemson, Central and Liberty.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arial, Cateechee, Clemson University, Dacusville.
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 Pickens County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 131,698 | 139,198 | ▲ 5.7% | 13th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37,052 | 40,585 | ▲ 9.5% | 9th of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,221 | $55,781 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5 | 16 | ▲ 220.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
13 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Pickens County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.99¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.59¢ median for South Carolina utilities. 139,198 people live here, up 5.7% since 2020.
Who powers Pickens County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +13 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pickens 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% |
| Easley Combined Utility System | Municipal | Bundled | 15,772 | 12.81¢ | 38% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 932 MW | 98% |
| Natural gas | 19 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jocassee | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 774 MW | 1973 |
| Keowee | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Hydro | 158 MW | 1971 |
| Duke Energy CHP at Clemson University | Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC | Natural gas | 13 MW | 2019 |
| Central Energy Facility | Clemson University - Main Campus | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2000 |
The Pickens County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,585 | $55,781 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 16 | $161,694 | 0.13 |
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 Pickens County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pickens County. South Carolina has 22 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Anderson County.
Pickens County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Pickens County, Oconee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickens County | 139,198 | ▲ 9.5% | 950 MW | — | — | — |
| Anderson County | 219,930 | ▲ 9.3% | 2,133 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Greenville County | 583,125 | ▲ 8.2% | 13 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Oconee County | 83,775 | ▲ 6.7% | 4,360 MW | — | — | — |
| Transylvania County NC | 34,211 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
More of South Carolina
Pickens County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pickens County, South Carolina?
3 utilities have service territory in Pickens County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Blue Ridge Electric Coop Inc - (SC), Easley Combined Utility System. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Easley, SC in?
Easley is in Pickens County, South Carolina. About 27,275 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Clemson, SC in?
Clemson is in Pickens County, South Carolina. About 18,898 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pickens County?
4 operating plants with 950 MW of capacity. The largest is Jocassee (774 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Pickens County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pickens County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Greenville County.
Is Pickens County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,585 jobs in 2025 against 37,052 in 2019 (+9.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pickens County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pickens County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.