Power Supply Chain and Demand in the District of Columbia
PJM runs most of the District of Columbia's grid. 6 MW of new generation is planned in the District of Columbia, 6 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 9 data centers are identified in the District. Residential electricity averaged 24.66¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +17.8% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026. The SAVRN trackers hold no local moratorium or restriction for the District of Columbia and no project on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in the District of Columbia
District of Columbia is in the middle of the pack, with a few sharp signals worth watching. The data center industry now accounts for 2.3% of the the District's economy, the 15th largest share of any state or the District or the District (the median state is 1.8%), counting the industry's in-state suppliers and payrolls. Planned generation equals 8% of the power plants District of Columbia runs today, 38th of 51 (the median state plans 15%). Commercial electricity sales, the class that includes data centers, are -3.1% year to date, 51st in the country. Households pay part of the cost: residential prices are +17.8% year to date, the fastest increase of 51.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 5.7% | 5.7% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 20.93¢ | 24.66¢ | ▲ 17.8% | 1st of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 0.1 GW operating | 0.0 GW planned | 8% of fleet | 38th of 51 |
Where District of Columbia ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Regionally, Virginia leads on data center share of state gdp at 3.9%; District of Columbia is 2nd of 3 in its neighborhood at 2.3%.
County spotlight
District of Columbia holds the most data centers on record in the District of Columbia (9), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +25.1% since 2019 to 2,324 jobs.
Where District of Columbia sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- PJM
- Operating capacity
- 0.1 GW
- Planned generation
- 6 MW
- Under construction or built
- 6 MW
- Data centers identified
- 9
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 5.7%
- Residential price change
- +17.8%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
District of Columbia, county by county
1 county-equivalent in the District of Columbia. Planned generation sits in 1 of them, data centers stand in 1, and local measures are on record in 0. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 1
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 9 | 6 MW | 6 MW | Howard University | 2,324 | ▲ 25.1% | — | — |
Every county in the District of Columbia 1
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 1
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | District of Columbia | 9 | — | — | — |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
District of Columbia, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
- 2028/29 BRA cleared capacity
- 138,318 MW UCAP
- 2028/29 BRA RTO clearing price
- 325 $/MW-day
- 2026/27 BRA RTO clearing price
- 329.17 $/MW-day
- 2025/26 BRA RTO clearing price
- 269.92 $/MW-day
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 0.1 GW
- Planned, all types
- 6 MW
- Under construction or built
- 6 MW
- Planned gas
- 6 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 6 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 9
- Operators
- 7
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 0
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- -3.1%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 2.3%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 5.7% (-0.8 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- —
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -23.1%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- —
- Electrician median pay
- $78,970
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.03×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 24.66¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +17.8%
- All-sector price change
- +19.0%
- Total retail sales change
- -2.4%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 0
- Local measures (in force)
- 0 (0)
- Watchlist projects
- 0
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- —
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Not in NCSL scope
Planned power plants in the District of Columbia
Every planned generator in the District of Columbia in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1 | 6 MW | 6 MW |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHP Plant | District of Columbia | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 6 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Howard University |
What the District of Columbia build-out runs on
Who is building generation in the District of Columbia, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard University | 1 | 6 MW | 6 MW | Natural gas | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded District of Columbia footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names District of Columbia. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check
No planned unit of 50 MW or more in the District of Columbia is still waiting on equipment orders.
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in the District of Columbia
9 data centers run by 7 operators are identified in the District of Columbia. The full list by city is on the District of Columbia Data Center Map page. Utilities report 0 large customer projects here to EEI.
No large customer projects reported to EEI for this state.
The District of Columbia jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 719.9k | ▼ 3.6% | ▼ 9.7% (-77.1k) |
| Manufacturing | 1.0k | ▼ 9.1% | ▼ 23.1% (-0.3k) |
| Retail trade | 19.8k | ▲ 0.5% | ▼ 14.3% (-3.3k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 1,189 | 1,653 | ▲ 39.0% | $258,622 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,858 | 2,324 | ▲ 25.1% | $96,590 |
| Power and communication line construction | — | not disclosed | — | — |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 812 | — | $160,000 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 6,060 | $38,880 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 5,500 | $37,430 | 0.96× |
| Retail salespersons | 4,660 | $38,500 | 0.99× |
| All occupations | 701,920 | $91,540 | 2.35× |
| Construction laborers | 2,090 | $50,020 | 1.29× |
| Welders | 280 | $60,180 | 1.55× |
| HVAC mechanics | 400 | $84,390 | 2.17× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 1,010 | $101,020 | 2.60× |
| Electricians | 2,440 | $78,970 | 2.03× |
| Power-line installers | 150 | $101,240 | 2.60× |
| Construction supervisors | 1,420 | $86,520 | 2.23× |
| Electrical engineers | 330 | $143,000 | 3.68× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to District of Columbia
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in the District of Columbia
State measures 0
No state-level measures on record.
Delay Watchlist projects 0
No projects on the Delay Watchlist.
Local moratoria and restrictions (0) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The District of Columbia Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
The the District's neighbors
District of Columbia power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in the District of Columbia?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 6 MW of planned generators in the District of Columbia, 6 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is natural gas 100%. The largest single unit is CHP Plant (6 MW, Howard University). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in the District of Columbia?
PJM serves most of the District of Columbia as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Are electricity prices rising in the District of Columbia?
Residential electricity averaged 24.66¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +17.8% on a year earlier, the fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed -3.1%.
How much do data centers add to the District of Columbia economy?
PwC's 2026 study for the Data Center Coalition credits the industry with 18,610 in-state jobs, $4.4B of GDP (2.3% of the state economy, 15th of 51) and $0.3B in state and local taxes in 2024. These are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
What do electricians earn in the District of Columbia?
The median electrician in the District of Columbia earned $78,970 in May 2025, 2.03 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $101,240 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in the District of Columbia have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: District of Columbia (6 MW).
Where are the data centers in the District of Columbia?
9 data centers run by 7 operators are identified in the District of Columbia. The largest clusters are in the District of Columbia (9).
Does District of Columbia have a data center moratorium?
No. The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds no state or local data center measure for the District of Columbia as of the latest weekly feed.
District of Columbia across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.