Sussex County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waverly
Sussex County sits inside the data center build-out. Construction employs 112, up 80.6% since 2019. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Sussex County. Sussex County is home to Waverly and Wakefield. Employers here counted 3,162 jobs in 2025, down 12.9% from 2019. 118 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Sussex County
Sussex County is home to Waverly and Wakefield.
- Jarratt also extends into Greensville County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Sussex.
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 Sussex County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,799 | 10,755 | ▼ 0.4% | 114th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,632 | 3,162 | ▼ 12.9% | 130th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,140 | $54,090 | ▲ 34.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62 | 112 | ▲ 80.6% | 2nd of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.6% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 118 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 138 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Sussex County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 10,755 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Sussex County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +118 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sussex 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% |
| Southside Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,846 | 15.48¢ | 12% |
| Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,016 | 14.50¢ | 71% |
| Prince George Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,954 | 13.05¢ | 20% |
| Community Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Wakefield - (VA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 138 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waverly Solar, LLC | Waverly Solar, LLC | Solar | 118 MW | 2023 |
| Sussex Drive, LLC | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 20 MW | 2017 |
The Sussex County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,162 | $54,090 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 112 | $99,656 | 0.67 |
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 Sussex County
2 data centers in Sussex County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Sussex County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Sussex County, Surry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sussex County | 10,755 | ▼ 12.9% | 138 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Dinwiddie County | 28,896 | ▲ 4.7% | 5 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Greensville County | 11,181 | ▼ 23.0% | 2,095 MW | — | — | — |
| Prince George County | 43,936 | ▲ 3.6% | 587 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Southampton County | 18,110 | ▼ 4.7% | 182 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Surry County | 6,603 | ▲ 2.3% | 2,493 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Virginia
Sussex County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sussex County, Virginia?
6 utilities have service territory in Sussex County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Southside Electric Coop, Inc, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Prince George Electric Coop. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Sussex County?
2 operating plants with 138 MW of capacity. The largest is Waverly Solar, LLC (118 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Sussex County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Sussex County.
Is Sussex County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,162 jobs in 2025 against 3,632 in 2019 (-12.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 62 to 112.
Does Sussex County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sussex County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.