Isle of Wight County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Smithfield and Windsor
The data center boom is not abstract in Isle of Wight County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Isle of Wight County. Isle of Wight County is home to Smithfield and Windsor. 258 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by AES Clean Energy (solar), the 4th largest pipeline among Virginia's counties. 50 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 539, up 25.6% since 2019. 282 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Isle of Wight County
Isle of Wight County is home to Smithfield and Windsor.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Benns Church, Camptown, Carrollton, Carrsville, Rushmere.
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 Isle of Wight County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 38,711 | 41,321 | ▲ 6.7% | 45th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,804 | 9,852 | ▼ 8.8% | 121st of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,745 | $64,063 | ▲ 43.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 429 | 539 | ▲ 25.6% | 23rd of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 282 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 258 MW | 77% of today's fleet | 4th of 29 by size |
Employers here counted 9,852 jobs in 2025, down 8.8% from 2019. Its power plants have 337 MW of capacity, 89% of it solar. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Isle of Wight 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. 41,321 people live here, up 6.7% since 2020.
Who powers Isle of Wight County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +282 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Isle of Wight 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% |
| Prince George Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,954 | 13.05¢ | 20% |
| Community Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Franklin - (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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 301 MW | 89% |
| Other technologies | 36 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavalier Solar | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 156 MW | 2024 |
| Cavalier Solar A2 | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 84 MW | 2024 |
| International Paper Franklin Mill | GFC - Franklin | Other technologies | 36 MW | 1977 |
| Prairie Solar (VA) | Prairie Solar, LLC (VA) | Solar | 20 MW | 2025 |
| Solidago Solar | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 20 MW | 2023 |
| Woodland Solar Farm | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Solar | 19 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Cross Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 208 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | AES Clean Energy |
| Ho-Fel Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 50 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Ho-Fel Solar LLC |
The Isle of Wight County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,852 | $64,063 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 539 | $64,266 | 1.03 |
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 Isle of Wight County
2 data centers in Isle of Wight County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Isle of Wight County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Isle of Wight County, Surry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isle of Wight County | 41,321 | ▼ 8.8% | 337 MW | 258 MW | 2 | — |
| Franklin (city) | 8,478 | ▼ 8.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Southampton County | 18,110 | ▼ 4.7% | 182 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Suffolk (city) | 104,699 | ▲ 36.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Surry County | 6,603 | ▲ 2.3% | 2,493 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Virginia
Isle of Wight County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Isle of Wight County, Virginia?
4 utilities have service territory in Isle of Wight County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Prince George Electric Coop, Community Electric Coop, City of Franklin - (VA). The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Isle of Wight County?
7 operating plants with 337 MW of capacity. The largest is Cavalier Solar (156 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Isle of Wight County?
258 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 50 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is AES Clean Energy.
Are there data centers in Isle of Wight County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Isle of Wight County.
Is Isle of Wight County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,852 jobs in 2025 against 10,804 in 2019 (-8.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 429 to 539.
Does Isle of Wight County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Isle of Wight County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.