# District of Columbia, District of Columbia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Home to WashingtonDC

District of Columbia is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 9 data centers in District of Columbia, 100% of District of Columbia's total. District of Columbia and the city of Washington share the same boundaries. 6 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Howard University (natural gas), the largest pipeline among District of Columbia's counties. 6 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 2,324, at an average $96,590 a year. 35 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.

9
data centers on the SAVRN Data Center Map, 100% of District of Columbia's

6 MW
of new generation planned here, natural gas leading

+25.1%
electrical contractor jobs since 2019, now 2,324

## Cities and towns in District of Columbia

District of Columbia and the city of Washington share the same boundaries.

Washington693,645 residents

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 District of Columbia

| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in District of Columbia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 670,958 | 693,645 | ▲ 3.4% | 1st of 1 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 775,978 | 741,567 | ▼ 4.4% | 1st of 1 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $98,049 | $128,892 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,858 | 2,324 | ▲ 25.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,189 | 1,653 | ▲ 39.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 5.8% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 35 MW |  | — |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW |  | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 6 MW | 8% of today's fleet | 1st of 1 by size |

Employers here counted 741,567 jobs in 2025, down 4.4% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 1 District of Columbia counties). Its power plants have 72 MW of capacity, 49% of it solar, the largest fleet in District of Columbia. Potomac Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving District of Columbia. Its residential customers paid an average 16.58¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 5.8% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019. 693,645 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020, 1st of 1 District of Columbia counties by population.

## Who powers District of Columbia

### Utilities with service territory in District of Columbia

| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Potomac Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 318,780 | 16.58¢ | 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 

| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 35 MW | 49% |
| Natural gas | 23 MW | 32% |
| Other technologies | 14 MW | 20% |

| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walt Bailey Bioenergy Facility | DC Water | Other technologies | 14 MW | 2015 |
| US GSA Heating and Transmission | US GSA Heating and Transmission | Natural gas | 11 MW | 2004 |
| AOC, Capitol Power Plant | Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Power Plant | Natural gas | 8 MW | 2018 |
| JBAB - Washington DC | JBAB Solar I, LLC. | Solar | 6 MW | 2019 |
| Ross Hall Central Utility Plant | The George Washington University | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2016 |
| V Street Solar | V Street Solar, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2025 |

### Planned generation 

| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHP Plant | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 6 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Howard University |

## The District of Columbia labor market

| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 741,567 | $128,892 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,324 | $96,590 | 0.43 |
| Electric utilities | 812 | $160,000 | 0.40 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,653 | $258,622 | 0.72 |

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 District of Columbia

9 data centers in District of Columbia are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.

## District of Columbia and its neighbors

Of the 5 counties that border District of Columbia, Fairfax 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 693,645 | ▼ 4.4% | 72 MW | 6 MW | 9 | — |
| Alexandria (city)](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/alexandria-city) VA | 160,662 | ▼ 11.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Arlington County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/arlington-county) VA | 243,931 | ▼ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Fairfax County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/fairfax-county) VA | 1,167,873 | ▲ 2.0% | 133 MW | — | 45 | 1 |
| Montgomery County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/maryland/montgomery-county) MD | 1,074,582 | ▼ 3.4% | 500 MW | — | 10 | 3 |
| Prince George's County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/maryland/prince-george-s-county) MD | 970,374 | ▲ 1.9% | 3,100 MW | 12 MW | 5 | 3 |

## More of District of Columbia

[All District of Columbia countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/washington-dc)

## District of Columbia, answered from the record

### Who provides electricity in District of Columbia, District of Columbia?

1 utility has service territory in District of Columbia in the EIA-861 2024 report: Potomac Electric Power Co. The largest, Potomac Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 16.58¢/kWh on average in 2024.

### What county is Washington, DC in?

Washington is in District of Columbia, District of Columbia. About 693,645 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

### What power plants are in District of Columbia?

21 operating plants with 72 MW of capacity. The largest is Walt Bailey Bioenergy Facility (14 MW, other technologies).

### How much new power is planned in District of Columbia?

6 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 6 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Howard University.

### Are there data centers in District of Columbia?

Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 9 data centers in District of Columbia.

### Is District of Columbia adding jobs?

Employers counted 741,567 jobs in 2025 against 775,978 in 2019 (-4.4%, BLS QCEW).

### Does District of Columbia have a data center moratorium?

No county-level measure is on record for District of Columbia. District of Columbia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/washington-dc/district-of-columbia
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).