Buckingham County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Buckingham Courthouse and Yogaville
The data center boom is not abstract in Buckingham County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Buckingham County. Buckingham County is home to Dillwyn. 224 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Riverstone Solar, LLC (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among Virginia's counties. Construction employs 184, up 5.1% since 2019. Employers here counted 3,038 jobs in 2025, down 6.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Buckingham County
Buckingham County is home to Dillwyn.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Buckingham Courthouse, Yogaville.
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 Buckingham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,826 | 17,137 | ▲ 1.8% | 89th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,245 | 3,038 | ▼ 6.4% | 110th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,700 | $52,419 | ▲ 35.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 175 | 184 | ▲ 5.1% | 50th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.6% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 224 MW | 37% of today's fleet | 5th of 29 by size |
20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 599 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Buckingham 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. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 17,137 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Buckingham County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Buckingham 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% |
| Central Virginia Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,893 | 16.14¢ | 16% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 559 MW | 93% |
| Solar | 40 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Garden | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Natural gas | 559 MW | 2011 |
| Energix Buckingham, LLC | Energix Buckingham, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2021 |
| Buckingham Solar LLC | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 20 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverstone Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Riverstone Solar, LLC |
| Pineside Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Dominion Renewable Energy |
The Buckingham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,038 | $52,419 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 184 | $45,822 | 1.14 |
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 Buckingham County
1 data center in Buckingham County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Buckingham County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Buckingham County, Fluvanna 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckingham County | 17,137 | ▼ 6.4% | 599 MW | 224 MW | 1 | — |
| Albemarle County | 118,356 | ▲ 12.5% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
| Appomattox County | 17,172 | ▲ 12.9% | 16 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Cumberland County | 10,352 | ▲ 14.9% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Fluvanna County | 28,975 | ▲ 10.5% | 1,021 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Nelson County | 14,920 | ▼ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Prince Edward County | 22,391 | ▼ 7.2% | 10 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Virginia
Buckingham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Buckingham County, Virginia?
4 utilities have service territory in Buckingham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Appalachian Power Co, Southside Electric Coop, Inc, Central Virginia Electric Coop. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Buckingham County?
3 operating plants with 599 MW of capacity. The largest is Bear Garden (559 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Buckingham County?
224 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Riverstone Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Buckingham County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Buckingham County.
Is Buckingham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,038 jobs in 2025 against 3,245 in 2019 (-6.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 175 to 184.
Does Buckingham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Buckingham County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.