Brunswick County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ebony and Gasburg
The data center boom is not abstract in Brunswick County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Brunswick County. Brunswick County is home to Lawrenceville. 903 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Dominion Renewable Energy (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Virginia's counties. 3 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 1,483 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas, the 5th largest fleet in Virginia. Construction employs 196, down 5.3% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Brunswick County
Brunswick County is home to Lawrenceville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Ebony, Gasburg, Warfield.
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 Brunswick County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,824 | 15,727 | ▼ 0.6% | 96th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,523 | 3,414 | ▼ 3.1% | 94th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,802 | $53,508 | ▲ 45.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 207 | 196 | ▼ 5.3% | 71st of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.1% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 903 MW | 61% of today's fleet | 2nd of 29 by size |
Employers here counted 3,414 jobs in 2025, down 3.1% from 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Brunswick County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. 15,727 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Brunswick County
Utilities with service territory in Brunswick 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% |
| Southside Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,846 | 15.48¢ | 12% |
| Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,016 | 14.50¢ | 71% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,472 MW | 99% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County Power Station | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Natural gas | 1,472 MW | 2016 |
| Brunswick Landfill Gas | Industrial Power Generating Company LLC | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2007 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellflower Solar (VA) | Solar Photovoltaic | 600 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Dominion Renewable Energy |
| Rocky Run Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 300 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Dominion Renewable Energy |
| Alberta Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 3 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Dominion Renewable Energy |
The Brunswick County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,414 | $53,508 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 196 | $78,778 | 1.08 |
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 Brunswick County
1 data center in Brunswick County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Brunswick County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Brunswick County, Mecklenburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 15,727 | ▼ 3.1% | 1,483 MW | 903 MW | 1 | — |
| Dinwiddie County | 28,896 | ▲ 4.7% | 5 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Greensville County | 11,181 | ▼ 23.0% | 2,095 MW | — | — | — |
| Lunenburg County | 12,058 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Mecklenburg County | 30,747 | ▲ 4.2% | 487 MW | — | 18 | 1 |
| Northampton County NC | 16,491 | ▼ 14.3% | 363 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Nottoway County | 15,796 | ▼ 6.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Warren County NC | 18,898 | ▼ 4.7% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Brunswick County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brunswick County, Virginia?
3 utilities have service territory in Brunswick County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Southside Electric Coop, Inc, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Brunswick County?
2 operating plants with 1,483 MW of capacity. The largest is Brunswick County Power Station (1,472 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Brunswick County?
903 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 3 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Dominion Renewable Energy.
Are there data centers in Brunswick County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Brunswick County.
Is Brunswick County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,414 jobs in 2025 against 3,523 in 2019 (-3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 207 to 196.
Does Brunswick County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brunswick County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.