Bedford County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bedford
Bedford County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Bedford County. Bedford County is home to Bedford. Construction employs 1,336, up 10.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 22 MW of capacity, 34% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Bedford County
Bedford County is home to Bedford.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Island, Forest, Moneta, Montvale, Stewartsville.
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 Bedford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 79,590 | 83,059 | ▲ 4.4% | 26th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,846 | 18,784 | ▼ 0.3% | 76th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,809 | $50,145 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,214 | 1,336 | ▲ 10.0% | 45th of 83 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 38 | 10 | ▼ 73.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10 | 8 | ▼ 20.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Bedford 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. Employers here counted 18,784 jobs in 2025, down 0.3% from 2019. 83,059 people live here, up 4.4% since 2020.
Who powers Bedford County
Utilities with service territory in Bedford 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% |
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 465,283 | 17.02¢ | 26% |
| Southside Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,846 | 15.48¢ | 12% |
| Town of Bedford - (VA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 8 MW | 34% |
| Hydro | 7 MW | 31% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 22% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia-Pacific Big Island | GP Big Island LLC | Hydro | 8 MW | 1920 |
| Snowden | Town of Bedford - (VA) | Hydro | 5 MW | 1987 |
| Orange Street G1 | Town of Bedford - (VA) | Petroleum | 5 MW | 2005 |
| Bedford Solar (Oppidum) | Oppidum Renewables USA, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
| Coleman Falls | Holcomb Rock Company | Hydro | 2 MW | 1983 |
The Bedford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,784 | $50,145 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,336 | $62,350 | 1.34 |
| Power and communication line construction | 10 | $42,010 | 0.33 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $127,357 | 0.14 |
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 Bedford County
3 data centers in Bedford County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Bedford County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Bedford County, Pittsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County | 83,059 | ▼ 0.3% | 22 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Amherst County | 31,962 | ▼ 1.8% | 12 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Botetourt County | 34,144 | ▲ 8.1% | — | 78 MW | 1 | — |
| Campbell County | 55,629 | ▲ 7.2% | 179 MW | 120 MW | 2 | — |
| Franklin County | 55,526 | ▲ 4.8% | — | 12 MW | 1 | — |
| Lynchburg (city) | 81,347 | ▼ 9.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Pittsylvania County | 59,490 | ▲ 7.5% | 846 MW | 166 MW | 3 | — |
| Roanoke County | 97,150 | ▼ 4.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Rockbridge County | 22,663 | ▼ 2.1% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Bedford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bedford County, Virginia?
4 utilities have service territory in Bedford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Appalachian Power Co, Southside Electric Coop, Inc, Town of Bedford - (VA). The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bedford County?
5 operating plants with 22 MW of capacity. The largest is Georgia-Pacific Big Island (8 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Bedford County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Bedford County.
Is Bedford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,784 jobs in 2025 against 18,846 in 2019 (-0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,214 to 1,336.
Does Bedford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bedford County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.