King George County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dahlgren and Dahlgren Center
King George County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. King George County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Dahlgren, Dahlgren Center, Fairview Beach, are unincorporated and governed by the county. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Amazon Birchwood power plant data center campus. Construction employs 381, up 32.3% since 2019. Employers here counted 13,622 jobs in 2025, up 13.8% from 2019. 258 MW has retired here since 2019, including Birchwood Power (coal, 258 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in King George County
King George County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Dahlgren, Dahlgren Center, Fairview Beach, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dahlgren, Dahlgren Center, Fairview Beach, King George, Passapatanzy.
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 King George County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,822 | 29,646 | ▲ 10.5% | 60th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,973 | 13,622 | ▲ 13.8% | 14th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $78,850 | $97,177 | ▲ 23.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 288 | 381 | ▲ 32.3% | 18th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 258 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 29,646 people live here, up 10.5% since 2020. Its power plants have 13 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving King George County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities.
Who powers King George County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −258 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in King George 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% |
| Northern Neck Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,991 | 16.12¢ | 14% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 13 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waste Management King George LFGTE | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 13 MW | 2010 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birchwood Power | Coal | 258 MW | 2021 |
The King George County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,622 | $97,177 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 381 | $58,759 | 0.53 |
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 King George County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Birchwood power plant data center campus | litigation active | — |
King George County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border King George County, Stafford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King George County | 29,646 | ▲ 13.8% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
| Caroline County | 34,413 | ▲ 18.7% | 892 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Essex County | 10,654 | ▼ 2.2% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Stafford County | 170,803 | ▲ 13.2% | 4 MW | 5 MW | 18 | 1 |
| Westmoreland County | 19,715 | ▼ 6.4% | 56 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
King George County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in King George County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in King George County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Northern Neck Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in King George County?
1 operating plant with 13 MW of capacity. The largest is Waste Management King George LFGTE (13 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in King George County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in King George County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stafford County.
Is King George County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,622 jobs in 2025 against 11,973 in 2019 (+13.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 288 to 381.
Does King George County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for King George County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.