Pittsylvania County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gretna, Hurt and Chatham
Pittsylvania County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Pittsylvania County. Pittsylvania County is home to Gretna, Hurt and Chatham. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Balico Pittsylvania County (3,500 MW). 166 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Dominion Renewable Energy (solar), the 9th largest pipeline among Virginia's counties. 106 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 1,119, up 4.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Pittsylvania County
Pittsylvania County is home to Gretna, Hurt and Chatham.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blairs, Motley, Mount Hermon.
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 Pittsylvania County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 60,369 | 59,490 | ▼ 1.5% | 31st of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,089 | 13,000 | ▲ 7.5% | 28th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,165 | $51,411 | ▲ 38.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,073 | 1,119 | ▲ 4.3% | 53rd of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 246 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 90 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 166 MW | 20% of today's fleet | 9th of 29 by size |
90 MW has retired here since 2019, including Multitrade of Pittsylvania LP (other technologies, 90 MW, 2019). 246 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 13,000 jobs in 2025, up 7.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 846 MW of capacity, 70% of it hydro. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Pittsylvania County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 59,490 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Pittsylvania County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +156 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pittsylvania 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% |
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 465,283 | 17.02¢ | 26% |
| Southside Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,846 | 15.48¢ | 12% |
| City of Danville - (VA) | Municipal | Bundled | 37,781 | 15.01¢ | 29% |
| 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 15
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 592 MW | 70% |
| Solar | 252 MW | 30% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Mountain | Appalachian Power Co | Hydro | 548 MW | 1965 |
| Maplewood Solar | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 120 MW | 2022 |
| Whitehorn Solar | Whitehorn Solar, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2021 |
| Sycamore Solar | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 42 MW | 2023 |
| Leesville | Appalachian Power Co | Hydro | 40 MW | 1964 |
| Danville Farm, LLC | Thor Solar 1 CEI, LLC | Solar | 12 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 95 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Dominion Renewable Energy |
| Zenith Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 60 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Zenith Solar, LLC |
| Danville VA BESS 2 | Batteries | 11 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Danville VA BESS 2 LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multitrade of Pittsylvania LP | Other technologies | 90 MW | 2019 |
The Pittsylvania County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,000 | $51,411 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,119 | $64,481 | 1.62 |
| Electric utilities | 64 | $117,445 | 1.82 |
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 Pittsylvania County
3 data centers in Pittsylvania County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balico Pittsylvania County | cancelled | 3,500 MW |
Pittsylvania County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Pittsylvania County, Halifax 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsylvania County | 59,490 | ▲ 7.5% | 846 MW | 166 MW | 3 | — |
| Bedford County | 83,059 | ▼ 0.3% | 22 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Campbell County | 55,629 | ▲ 7.2% | 179 MW | 120 MW | 2 | — |
| Caswell County NC | 22,563 | ▲ 0.2% | 18 MW | — | — | — |
| Danville (city) | 41,647 | ▼ 0.5% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Franklin County | 55,526 | ▲ 4.8% | — | 12 MW | 1 | — |
| Halifax County | 33,447 | ▼ 2.8% | 1,426 MW | 107 MW | 2 | — |
| Henry County | 49,242 | ▼ 4.0% | 156 MW | 201 MW | — | — |
| Rockingham County NC | 94,195 | ▼ 4.4% | 1,718 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Pittsylvania County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pittsylvania County, Virginia?
5 utilities have service territory in Pittsylvania County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Appalachian Power Co, Southside Electric Coop, Inc, City of Danville - (VA). The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Pittsylvania County?
15 operating plants with 846 MW of capacity. The largest is Smith Mountain (548 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Pittsylvania County?
166 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 106 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Dominion Renewable Energy.
Are there data centers in Pittsylvania County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Pittsylvania County.
Is Pittsylvania County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,000 jobs in 2025 against 12,089 in 2019 (+7.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,073 to 1,119.
Does Pittsylvania County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pittsylvania County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.