Rockbridge County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Glasgow
No data center or power plant project is on record in Rockbridge County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Rockbridge County is home to Glasgow. Construction employs 455, down 10.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Bedford County has 3 data centers. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Rockbridge County
Rockbridge County is home to Glasgow.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): East Lexington, Fairfield.
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 Rockbridge County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,668 | 22,663 | ● 0.0% | 76th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,366 | 6,230 | ▼ 2.1% | 89th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,269 | $46,054 | ▲ 38.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 509 | 455 | ▼ 10.6% | 75th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 14, at an average $44,053 a year. Employers here counted 6,230 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Rockbridge 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 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 22,663 people live here, down 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Rockbridge County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rockbridge 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% |
| Shenandoah Valley Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 85,281 | 13.81¢ | 22% |
| BARC Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield Lee Solar, LLC Community Solar | Dimension Energy LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2024 |
| Small Mouth Bass Solar | Small Mouth Bass Solar Partners LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Rockbridge County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,230 | $46,054 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 455 | $59,054 | 1.38 |
| Electrical contractors | 14 | $44,053 | 0.31 |
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 Rockbridge County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rockbridge County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Rockbridge County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Rockbridge County, Bath 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge County | 22,663 | ▼ 2.1% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Alleghany County | 14,546 | ▼ 13.1% | 244 MW | — | — | — |
| Amherst County | 31,962 | ▼ 1.8% | 12 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Augusta County | 78,940 | ▲ 9.6% | 8 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Bath County | 4,076 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,867 MW | — | — | — |
| Bedford County | 83,059 | ▼ 0.3% | 22 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Botetourt County | 34,144 | ▲ 8.1% | — | 78 MW | 1 | — |
| Buena Vista (city) | 6,672 | ▼ 13.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Lexington (city) | 7,769 | ▲ 24.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Nelson County | 14,920 | ▼ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Rockbridge County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rockbridge County, Virginia?
3 utilities have service territory in Rockbridge County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Shenandoah Valley Elec Coop, BARC Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Rockbridge County?
2 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Fairfield Lee Solar, LLC Community Solar (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Rockbridge County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rockbridge County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bedford County.
Is Rockbridge County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,230 jobs in 2025 against 6,366 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 509 to 455.
Does Rockbridge County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rockbridge County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.