Union County, South Carolina: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Union
No data center or power plant project is on record in Union County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Union County is home to Union and Jonesville. Unemployment was 6.3% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Next door, York County has 5 data centers. Employers here counted 7,318 jobs in 2025, down 12.4% from 2019. 13 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Union County
Union County is home to Union and Jonesville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Buffalo, Monarch Mill.
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 Union County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in South Carolina |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 27,173 | 26,799 | ▼ 1.4% | 35th of 46 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,353 | 7,318 | ▼ 12.4% | 43rd of 46 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,497 | $50,848 | ▲ 28.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 6.3% | ▲ 2.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 13 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 51 MW of capacity, 44% of it hydro. Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC is the largest utility serving Union County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.99¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.59¢ median for South Carolina utilities. 26,799 people live here, down 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Union County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +13 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Union 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% |
| Broad River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,140 | 15.91¢ | 11% |
| Lockhart Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 4,976 | 13.42¢ | 75% |
| City of Union - (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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 22 MW | 44% |
| Petroleum | 13 MW | 25% |
| Solar | 13 MW | 25% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockhart | Lockhart Power Co | Hydro | 18 MW | 1921 |
| Midway Green Solar | Midway Green Solar, LLC | Solar | 13 MW | 2020 |
| City West Diesel Plant | Lockhart Power Co | Petroleum | 7 MW | 2011 |
| Webb Forging | Central Electric Power | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2003 |
| Neal Shoals | Dominion Energy South Carolina, Inc | Hydro | 4 MW | 1905 |
| Union Renewable Energy Facility | Lockhart Power Co | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2015 |
The Union County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,318 | $50,848 | 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 Union County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Union County. South Carolina has 22 local measures on record statewide, and 6 neighboring counties have one: Chester County, Fairfield County, Laurens County, Newberry County.
Union County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Union County, York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union County | 26,799 | ▼ 12.4% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County | 58,275 | ▼ 13.7% | 1,928 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Chester County | 33,001 | ▲ 7.7% | 99 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Fairfield County | 20,340 | ▲ 17.5% | 1,763 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Laurens County | 71,848 | ▼ 4.6% | 47 MW | 45 MW | — | 1 |
| Newberry County | 39,561 | ▼ 1.1% | 3 MW | 71 MW | — | 2 |
| Spartanburg County | 380,857 | ▲ 6.7% | 63 MW | — | 3 | 3 |
| York County | 306,887 | ▲ 5.9% | 2,476 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
More of South Carolina
Union County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Union County, South Carolina?
5 utilities have service territory in Union County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, Laurens Electric Coop, Inc, Broad River Electric Coop, Inc, Lockhart Power Co. The largest, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC, charged residential customers 13.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Union County?
6 operating plants with 51 MW of capacity. The largest is Lockhart (18 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Union County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Union County. The nearest activity on record is next door in York County.
Is Union County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,318 jobs in 2025 against 8,353 in 2019 (-12.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Union County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Union County. South Carolina has 22 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.