Augusta County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Augusta Springs and Churchville
Augusta County is where a large share of Virginia's next power plants are planned. Augusta County is home to Craigsville. 11 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Antares Group Inc (solar). 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 2,146, up 11.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 31,235 jobs in 2025, up 9.6% from 2019. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Augusta County
Augusta County is home to Craigsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Augusta Springs, Churchville, Crimora, Deerfield, Dooms, Fishersville, Greenville, Harriston, Jolivue, Lyndhurst, Middlebrook, Mount Sidney, New Hope, Sherando, Stuarts Draft, Verona, Weyers Cave, Wintergreen.
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 Augusta County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 77,586 | 78,940 | ▲ 1.7% | 28th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28,508 | 31,235 | ▲ 9.6% | 22nd of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,618 | $61,308 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,931 | 2,146 | ▲ 11.1% | 41st of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 11 MW | 139% of today's fleet | 27th of 29 by size |
Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Augusta County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. 78,940 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Augusta County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Augusta County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,383,548 | 14.09¢ | 63% |
| Shenandoah Valley Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 85,281 | 13.81¢ | 22% |
| Central Virginia Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,893 | 16.14¢ | 16% |
| BARC Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesboro Bridge Solar, LLC Community S | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Augusta CSG, LLC | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waynesboro - VA 0426 (Patterson B) | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | CVE US VA Patterson 426 LLC |
| Elm Spring Solar 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Antares Group Inc |
| Shenvalee Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Antares Group Inc |
The Augusta County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 31,235 | $61,308 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,146 | $67,950 | 1.30 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $40,795 | 0.08 |
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 Augusta County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Augusta County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Augusta County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Augusta County, Bath 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta County | 78,940 | ▲ 9.6% | 8 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Albemarle County | 118,356 | ▲ 12.5% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
| Bath County | 4,076 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,867 MW | — | — | — |
| Highland County | 2,318 | ▲ 32.7% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Nelson County | 14,920 | ▼ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Pendleton County WV | 5,826 | ▲ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Rockbridge County | 22,663 | ▼ 2.1% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Rockingham County | 89,316 | ▲ 3.2% | 243 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Staunton (city) | 26,801 | ▲ 4.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Waynesboro (city) | 23,951 | ▲ 11.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Augusta County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Augusta County, Virginia?
4 utilities have service territory in Augusta County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Shenandoah Valley Elec Coop, Central Virginia Electric Coop, BARC Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Augusta County?
2 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Waynesboro Bridge Solar, LLC Community S (5 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Augusta County?
11 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Antares Group Inc.
Are there data centers in Augusta County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Augusta County.
Is Augusta County adding jobs?
Employers counted 31,235 jobs in 2025 against 28,508 in 2019 (+9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,931 to 2,146.
Does Augusta County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Augusta County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.