Russell County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lebanon and Honaker
The power plants that defined Russell County are changing. Russell County is home to Lebanon and Honaker. Next door, Wise County has 1 data center. Owners plan to retire 475 MW more by 2035, led by Clinch River in 2030. Construction employs 493, down 3.5% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 6,134 jobs in 2025, down 9.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Russell County
Russell County is home to Lebanon and Honaker.
- St. Paul also extends into Wise County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Castlewood, Dante, Raven.
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 Russell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,761 | 25,332 | ▼ 1.7% | 72nd of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,743 | 6,134 | ▼ 9.0% | 124th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,038 | $50,532 | ▲ 23.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 511 | 493 | ▼ 3.5% | 68th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 475 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Russell County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. 25,332 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Russell County
Utilities with service territory in Russell County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 465,283 | 17.02¢ | 26% |
| Kentucky Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 22,669 | 14.28¢ | 37% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 475 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinch River | Appalachian Power Co | Natural gas | 475 MW | 1958 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinch River | Natural gas | 475 MW | 2030 |
The Russell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,134 | $50,532 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 493 | $62,481 | 1.52 |
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 Russell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Russell County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Russell County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Russell County, Wise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell County | 25,332 | ▼ 9.0% | 475 MW | — | — | — |
| Buchanan County | 18,492 | ▼ 11.7% | 88 MW | — | — | — |
| Dickenson County | 13,236 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 21,200 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Smyth County | 28,882 | ▼ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Tazewell County | 38,635 | ▼ 7.4% | — | 13 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 53,898 | ▲ 5.2% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Wise County | 34,824 | ▼ 6.2% | 671 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
More of Virginia
Russell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Russell County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Russell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co, Kentucky Utilities Co. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 17.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Russell County?
1 operating plant with 475 MW of capacity. The largest is Clinch River (475 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Russell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Russell County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wise County.
Is Russell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,134 jobs in 2025 against 6,743 in 2019 (-9.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 511 to 493.
Does Russell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Russell County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.