Bath County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hot Springs and Millboro
Bath County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Bath County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Hot Springs, Millboro, Warm Springs, are unincorporated and governed by the county. Its power plants have 2,867 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro, the 2nd largest fleet in Virginia. 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 2,269 jobs in 2025, up 2.9% from 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Bath County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities.
Cities and towns in Bath County
Bath County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Hot Springs, Millboro, Warm Springs, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hot Springs, Millboro, Warm Springs.
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 Bath County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,185 | 4,076 | ▼ 2.6% | 131st of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,205 | 2,269 | ▲ 2.9% | 57th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,194 | $60,566 | ▲ 50.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 4,076 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Bath County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bath 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% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 2,862 MW | 100% |
| Solar | 5 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Hydro | 2,862 MW | 1985 |
| HCE Millboro Springs Solar, LLC | Standard Solar | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
The Bath County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,269 | $60,566 | 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 Bath County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bath County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Bath County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bath County, Alleghany 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bath County | 4,076 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,867 MW | — | — | — |
| Alleghany County | 14,546 | ▼ 13.1% | 244 MW | — | — | — |
| Augusta County | 78,940 | ▲ 9.6% | 8 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Greenbrier County WV | 31,578 | ▼ 6.9% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Highland County | 2,318 | ▲ 32.7% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Pocahontas County WV | 7,602 | ▼ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Rockbridge County | 22,663 | ▼ 2.1% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Bath County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bath County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Bath County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, 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 Bath County?
2 operating plants with 2,867 MW of capacity. The largest is Bath County (2,862 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Bath County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bath County.
Is Bath County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,269 jobs in 2025 against 2,205 in 2019 (+2.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Bath County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bath County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.