Richland County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Columbia, Forest Acres and Irmo
The data center boom is not abstract in Richland County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Richland County, 9% of South Carolina's total. Richland County is home to Columbia, Forest Acres, most of Irmo (7,961 of its 12,204 residents) and most of Blythewood (7,087 of its 7,233 residents). Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 39 MW has retired here since 2019, including Coit GT (petroleum, 39 MW, 2025). Its power plants have 992 MW of capacity, 78% of it coal, the 10th largest fleet in South Carolina.
Cities and towns in Richland County
Richland County is home to Columbia, Forest Acres, most of Irmo (7,961 of its 12,204 residents) and most of Blythewood (7,087 of its 7,233 residents).
- Irmo also extends into Lexington County.
- Blythewood also extends into Fairfield County.
- Cayce also extends into Lexington County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arthurtown, Capitol View, Dentsville, Gadsden, Hopkins, Lake Murray of Richland, Olympia, St. Andrews, Woodfield.
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 Richland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 415,755 | 434,956 | ▲ 4.6% | 3rd of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 223,386 | 229,383 | ▲ 2.7% | 23rd of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,951 | $65,125 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,212 | 7,366 | ▲ 2.1% | 18th of 25 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 880 | 811 | ▼ 7.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 471 | 538 | ▲ 14.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 944 | 206 | ▼ 78.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 92 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 39 MW | — |
92 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 7,366, up 2.1% since 2019. Employers here counted 229,383 jobs in 2025, up 2.7% from 2019. Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc is the largest utility serving Richland County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.59¢/kWh in 2024. Electrical contractors employ 811, down 7.8% since 2019 against up 10.4% statewide, at an average $75,980 a year. 434,956 people live here, up 4.6% since 2020, 3rd of 46 South Carolina counties by population.
Who powers Richland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +52 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Richland County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Investor Owned | Bundled | 696,385 | 14.59¢ | 36% |
| Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,463 | 14.88¢ | 22% |
| Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,397 | 14.35¢ | 13% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (SC) | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,672 | 18.51¢ | 13% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 772 MW | 78% |
| Other technologies | 118 MW | 12% |
| Solar | 74 MW | 7% |
| Battery storage | 18 MW | 2% |
| Hydro | 11 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wateree | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Coal | 772 MW | 1970 |
| Sylvamo Corporation Eastover Facility | Sylvamo Corporation - Eastover | Other technologies | 110 MW | 1984 |
| Eastover Solar | Eastover Solar, LLC | Solar | 92 MW | 2023 |
| Columbia Canal Hydro | City of Columbia - (SC) | Hydro | 11 MW | 1927 |
| Richland County Landfill | South Carolina Public Service Authority | Other technologies | 9 MW | 2006 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coit GT | Petroleum | 39 MW | 2025 |
The Richland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 229,383 | $65,125 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,366 | $82,408 | 0.61 |
| Electrical contractors | 811 | $75,980 | 0.49 |
| Electric utilities | 538 | $109,146 | 0.87 |
| Data processing and hosting | 206 | $92,084 | 0.29 |
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 Richland County
3 data centers in Richland County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Richland County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Richland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland County | 434,956 | ▲ 2.7% | 992 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Calhoun County | 14,188 | ▼ 1.9% | 907 MW | — | — | — |
| Fairfield County | 20,340 | ▲ 17.5% | 1,763 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Kershaw County | 73,166 | ▲ 5.0% | 110 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lexington County | 317,588 | ▲ 9.9% | 708 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Newberry County | 39,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 3 MW | 71 MW | — | 2 |
| Sumter County | 105,067 | ▼ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of South Carolina
Richland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Richland County, South Carolina?
4 utilities have service territory in Richland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, Mid-Carolina Electric Coop Inc, Fairfield Electric Coop, Inc, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (SC). The largest, Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc, charged residential customers 14.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Columbia, SC in?
Columbia is in Richland County, South Carolina. About 146,401 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Forest Acres, SC in?
Forest Acres is in Richland County, South Carolina. About 10,390 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Richland County?
5 operating plants with 992 MW of capacity. The largest is Wateree (772 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Richland County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Richland County.
Is Richland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 229,383 jobs in 2025 against 223,386 in 2019 (+2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,212 to 7,366.
Does Richland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Richland County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.