Mecklenburg County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to South Hill, Chase City and Clarksville
Mecklenburg County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 18 data centers in Mecklenburg County. Mecklenburg County is home to South Hill, Chase City, Clarksville and La Crosse. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Mecklenburg County data center moratorium”. 140 MW has retired here since 2019, including Mecklenburg Power Station (coal, 140 MW, 2019). 190 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Mecklenburg County
Mecklenburg County is home to South Hill, Chase City, Clarksville and La Crosse.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baskerville, Bracey, Fairview, Thynedale, Union Level.
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 Mecklenburg County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,285 | 30,747 | ▲ 1.5% | 58th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,419 | 11,904 | ▲ 4.2% | 48th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,387 | $54,288 | ▲ 53.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 190 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 140 MW | — |
Its power plants have 487 MW of capacity, 61% of it hydro. Employers here counted 11,904 jobs in 2025, up 4.2% from 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Mecklenburg 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 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 30,747 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Mecklenburg County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +50 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mecklenburg 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 297 MW | 61% |
| Solar | 190 MW | 39% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John H Kerr | USCE-Wilmington District | Hydro | 297 MW | 1952 |
| Grasshopper Solar | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 80 MW | 2020 |
| Otter Creek Solar | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 60 MW | 2023 |
| Bluestone Solar | Bluestone Farm Solar, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2021 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg Power Station | Coal | 140 MW | 2019 |
The Mecklenburg County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,904 | $54,288 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 118 | $112,128 | 3.66 |
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 Mecklenburg County
18 data centers in Mecklenburg County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County data center moratorium | In force | 2025-03 |
Mecklenburg County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Mecklenburg County, Brunswick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | 30,747 | ▲ 4.2% | 487 MW | — | 18 | 1 |
| Brunswick County | 15,727 | ▼ 3.1% | 1,483 MW | 903 MW | 1 | — |
| Charlotte County | 11,401 | ▼ 2.0% | 19 MW | 317 MW | 1 | — |
| Granville County NC | 61,421 | ▲ 0.5% | 43 MW | — | — | — |
| Halifax County | 33,447 | ▼ 2.8% | 1,426 MW | 107 MW | 2 | — |
| Lunenburg County | 12,058 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Vance County NC | 42,638 | ▼ 1.6% | 108 MW | — | — | — |
| Warren County NC | 18,898 | ▼ 4.7% | 154 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Mecklenburg County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mecklenburg County, Virginia?
3 utilities have service territory in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County?
4 operating plants with 487 MW of capacity. The largest is John H Kerr (297 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Mecklenburg County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 18 data centers in Mecklenburg County.
Is Mecklenburg County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,904 jobs in 2025 against 11,419 in 2019 (+4.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Mecklenburg County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Mecklenburg County, 1 in force.