Spotsylvania County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lake Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse
Spotsylvania County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Spotsylvania County. Spotsylvania County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Lake Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, are unincorporated and governed by the county. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers with no end date”. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Spotsylvania County data center special-use permit standards / statewide moratorium resolution. 500 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Spotsylvania County
Spotsylvania County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Lake Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Wilderness, Spotsylvania Courthouse.
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 Spotsylvania County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 140,611 | 155,388 | ▲ 10.5% | 14th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35,999 | 38,037 | ▲ 5.7% | 39th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,260 | $54,289 | ▲ 31.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,270 | 2,188 | ▼ 3.6% | 69th of 83 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 167 | 135 | ▼ 19.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 500 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 2,188, down 3.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 38,037 jobs in 2025, up 5.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 500 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 155,388 people live here, up 10.5% since 2020. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Spotsylvania County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities.
Who powers Spotsylvania County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +500 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Spotsylvania 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 500 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pleinmont Solar 2 | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 240 MW | 2021 |
| Highlander Solar Energy Station 1 | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 165 MW | 2020 |
| Pleinmont Solar 1 | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 75 MW | 2020 |
| Richmond Spider Solar | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 20 MW | 2020 |
The Spotsylvania County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 38,037 | $54,289 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,188 | $67,220 | 1.09 |
| Power and communication line construction | 135 | $58,085 | 2.20 |
| Data processing and hosting | 15 | $125,846 | 0.13 |
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 Spotsylvania County
3 data centers in Spotsylvania County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers with no end date | In force | 2026-08 |
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotsylvania County data center special-use permit standards / statewide moratorium resolution | pending review | — | ||
| Crossroads Technology Campus | pending review | — |
Spotsylvania County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Spotsylvania County, Stafford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spotsylvania County | 155,388 | ▲ 5.7% | 500 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Caroline County | 34,413 | ▲ 18.7% | 892 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Culpeper County | 57,666 | ▲ 2.2% | 7 MW | 100 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Fredericksburg (city) | 30,393 | ▲ 1.6% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Hanover County | 116,423 | ▲ 5.7% | 1,343 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Louisa County | 42,924 | ▲ 7.0% | 2,945 MW | 193 MW | 2 | — |
| Orange County | 40,083 | ▼ 5.8% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
| Stafford County | 170,803 | ▲ 13.2% | 4 MW | 5 MW | 18 | 1 |
More of Virginia
Spotsylvania County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Spotsylvania County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Spotsylvania County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Rappahannock Electric Coop. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Spotsylvania County?
4 operating plants with 500 MW of capacity. The largest is Pleinmont Solar 2 (240 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Spotsylvania County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Spotsylvania County.
Is Spotsylvania County adding jobs?
Employers counted 38,037 jobs in 2025 against 35,999 in 2019 (+5.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,270 to 2,188.
Does Spotsylvania County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Spotsylvania County, 1 in force.