Surry County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Scotland
Surry County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Surry County. Surry County is home to Claremont, Dendron and Surry. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Surry County data center moratorium. Its power plants have 2,493 MW of capacity, 68% of it nuclear, the 3rd largest fleet in Virginia. 390 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Surry County
Surry County is home to Claremont, Dendron and Surry.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Scotland.
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 Surry County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,548 | 6,603 | ▲ 0.8% | 126th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,154 | 2,203 | ▲ 2.3% | 61st of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $80,675 | $108,578 | ▲ 34.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 167 | 75 | ▼ 55.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.7% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 390 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,203 jobs in 2025, up 2.3% from 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Surry 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 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 6,603 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Surry County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +390 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Surry 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% |
| Prince George Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,954 | 13.05¢ | 20% |
| Community Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 1,695 MW | 68% |
| Solar | 390 MW | 16% |
| Natural gas | 368 MW | 15% |
| Petroleum | 40 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surry | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Nuclear | 1,695 MW | 1972 |
| Gravel Neck | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Natural gas | 408 MW | 1970 |
| Spring Grove Solar 2 | Urban Grid Solar | Solar | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Colonial Trail West | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 142 MW | 2019 |
| Spring Grove I | Dominion Energy Inc. | Solar | 98 MW | 2020 |
The Surry County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,203 | $108,578 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 75 | $76,247 | 0.64 |
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 Surry County
1 data center in Surry County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surry County data center moratorium | pending review | — |
Surry County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Surry County, Isle of Wight 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surry County | 6,603 | ▲ 2.3% | 2,493 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Charles City County | 6,623 | ▲ 24.1% | 309 MW | — | — | — |
| Isle of Wight County | 41,321 | ▼ 8.8% | 337 MW | 258 MW | 2 | — |
| Prince George County | 43,936 | ▲ 3.6% | 587 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Southampton County | 18,110 | ▼ 4.7% | 182 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Sussex County | 10,755 | ▼ 12.9% | 138 MW | — | 2 | — |
More of Virginia
Surry County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Surry County, Virginia?
3 utilities have service territory in Surry County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Prince George Electric Coop, Community Electric Coop. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Surry County?
5 operating plants with 2,493 MW of capacity. The largest is Surry (1,695 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Surry County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Surry County.
Is Surry County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,203 jobs in 2025 against 2,154 in 2019 (+2.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 167 to 75.
Does Surry County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Surry County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.