Orange County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Orange and Gordonsville
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Orange County. Orange County is home to Orange and Gordonsville. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Wilderness Crossing. Electrical contractors employ 69, up 32.7% since 2019 against up 33.4% statewide, at an average $57,274 a year. Construction employs 592, up 14.7% since 2019. 62 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Orange County
Orange County is home to Orange and Gordonsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Barboursville, Lake of the Woods.
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 Orange County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,396 | 40,083 | ▲ 10.1% | 47th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,990 | 9,409 | ▼ 5.8% | 105th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,834 | $51,533 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 516 | 592 | ▲ 14.7% | 32nd of 83 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52 | 69 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 62 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 9,409 jobs in 2025, down 5.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Its power plants have 62 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. 40,083 people live here, up 10.1% since 2020. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Orange 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.
Who powers Orange County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +62 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Orange 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% |
| Rappahannock Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 169,489 | 14.89¢ | 11% |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 62 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison Solar (VA) | AES Clean Energy | Solar | 62 MW | 2024 |
The Orange County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,409 | $51,533 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 592 | $57,781 | 1.19 |
| Electrical contractors | 69 | $57,274 | 1.02 |
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 Orange County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilderness Crossing | ruled | — |
Orange County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Orange County, Louisa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 40,083 | ▼ 5.8% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
| Albemarle County | 118,356 | ▲ 12.5% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
| Culpeper County | 57,666 | ▲ 2.2% | 7 MW | 100 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Greene County | 21,958 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Louisa County | 42,924 | ▲ 7.0% | 2,945 MW | 193 MW | 2 | — |
| Madison County | 14,237 | ▼ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Spotsylvania County | 155,388 | ▲ 5.7% | 500 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
More of Virginia
Orange County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Orange County, Virginia?
3 utilities have service territory in Orange County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Rappahannock Electric Coop, 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 Orange County?
1 operating plant with 62 MW of capacity. The largest is Madison Solar (VA) (62 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Orange County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Orange County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Culpeper County.
Is Orange County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,409 jobs in 2025 against 9,990 in 2019 (-5.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 516 to 592.
Does Orange County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Orange County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.