Giles County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pearisburg, Narrows and Pembroke
The data center boom is not abstract in Giles County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Giles County. Giles County is home to Pearisburg, Narrows, Pembroke and Rich Creek. Employers here counted 5,245 jobs in 2025, up 16.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 27 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Giles County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities.
Cities and towns in Giles County
Giles County is home to Pearisburg, Narrows, Pembroke and Rich Creek.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eggleston, Ripplemead.
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 Giles County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,786 | 16,564 | ▼ 1.3% | 90th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,517 | 5,245 | ▲ 16.1% | 12th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,264 | $54,487 | ▲ 32.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 16,564 people live here, down 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Giles County
Utilities with service territory in Giles County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 465,283 | 17.02¢ | 26% |
| Craig-Botetourt Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 27 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celanese Acetate LLC | Celanese Acetate LLC | Natural gas | 27 MW | 1942 |
The Giles County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,245 | $54,487 | 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 Giles County
1 data center in Giles County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Giles County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Giles County, Pulaski 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giles County | 16,564 | ▲ 16.1% | 27 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Bland County | 6,151 | ▲ 7.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Craig County | 4,800 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Mercer County WV | 57,503 | ▲ 4.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Monroe County WV | 12,491 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 98,434 | ▲ 4.0% | 24 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Pulaski County | 33,586 | ▼ 6.3% | 81 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Summers County WV | 11,532 | ▼ 0.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Giles County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Giles County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Giles County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co, Craig-Botetourt Electric Coop. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 17.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Giles County?
1 operating plant with 27 MW of capacity. The largest is Celanese Acetate LLC (27 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Giles County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Giles County.
Is Giles County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,245 jobs in 2025 against 4,517 in 2019 (+16.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Giles County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Giles County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.