Power Supply Chain and Demand in West Virginia
PJM runs most of West Virginia's grid. 939 MW of new generation is planned in West Virginia, 0 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 5 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 15.47¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +0.8% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, and construction employment is -2.8% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 0 local moratoria or restrictions for West Virginia across all statuses (0 in force) and 2 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in West Virginia
West Virginia is building power faster than most states, and the jobs data shows it. Electrical contractor jobs, the trade every data center, substation and plant needs first, grew 37.1% from 2019 to 2025, 6th in the country. Commercial electricity sales, the class that includes data centers, are +3.1% year to date, 15th in the country. Developers have announced $12.0B of data center capital in West Virginia, 23rd among the 31 states with a disclosed figure. The weak spot: construction jobs vs. 2019 ranks 47th of 48 at -2.8%.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 35.6k | 34.6k | ▼ 2.8% | 47th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,594 | 3,557 | ▲ 37.1% | 6th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,945 | 1,961 | ▲ 0.8% | 34th of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,052 | 1,244 | ▲ 18.3% | 37th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 5.3% | 4.0% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 15.35¢ | 15.47¢ | ▲ 0.8% | 48th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 16.1 GW operating | 0.9 GW planned | 6% of fleet | 40th of 51 |
Where West Virginia ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Among its neighbors, West Virginia leads on electrical contractor jobs, 2019 to 2025 (+37.1%), ahead of Ohio (+37.0%).
County spotlight
Kanawha County holds the most data centers on record in West Virginia (3), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +30.4% since 2019 to 412 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Harrison County: 579 MW, led by Wolf Summit Energy LLC (natural gas). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Cabell County, where contractor jobs grew 211.4% to 548.
Where West Virginia sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- PJM
- Operating capacity
- 16.1 GW
- Planned generation
- 939 MW
- Under construction or built
- 0 MW
- Data centers identified
- 5
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.0%
- Residential price change
- +0.8%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
West Virginia, county by county
55 counties in West Virginia. Planned generation sits in 8 of them, data centers stand in 3, and local measures are on record in 0. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 22
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanawha County | 3 | — | — | — | 412 | ▲ 30.4% | — | — | |
| Harrison County | 1 | 579 MW | — | Wolf Summit Energy LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Morgan County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Hampshire County | — | 150 MW | — | Parks Valley Energy LLC | 15 | — | — | — | |
| Berkeley County | — | 100 MW | — | Bedington Energy Facility, LLC | 112 | — | — | 1 | |
| Taylor County | — | 30 MW | — | Agilitas Energy, Inc. | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Mason County | — | 29 MW | — | Ohio Power and Light LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Hancock County | — | 28 MW | — | Current Hydro Project 19, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Tucker County | — | 12 MW | — | Monongahela Power Co | — | — | — | — | |
| Monongalia County | — | 11 MW | — | Rye Development | 365 | ▲ 30.8% | — | — | |
| Cabell County | — | — | — | — | 548 | ▲ 211.4% | — | — | |
| Ohio County | — | — | — | — | 206 | — | — | — | |
| Marion County | — | — | — | — | 153 | ▲ 10.1% | — | — | |
| Raleigh County | — | — | — | — | 67 | ▲ 6.3% | — | — | |
| Fayette County | — | — | — | — | 66 | ▼ 12.0% | — | — | |
| Jackson County | — | — | — | — | 50 | ▲ 194.1% | — | — | |
| Nicholas County | — | — | — | — | 43 | ▲ 95.5% | — | — | |
| Randolph County | — | — | — | — | 32 | — | — | — | |
| Greenbrier County | — | — | — | — | 26 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | |
| Upshur County | — | — | — | — | 26 | ▲ 52.9% | — | — | |
| Hardy County | — | — | — | — | 12 | ▼ 7.7% | — | — | |
| Jefferson County | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Every county in West Virginia 55
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 4
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Charleston | Kanawha County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Bath | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Bridgeport | Harrison County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Charleston | Kanawha County | 1 | — | — | — |
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.
West Virginia, 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
- 16.1 GW
- Planned, all types
- 939 MW
- Under construction or built
- 0 MW
- Planned gas
- 579 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 0 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 5
- Operators
- 3
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 2
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- +3.1%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.2%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.0% (-0.3 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- -2.8%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -4.5%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +37.1%
- Electrician median pay
- $64,810
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.46×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 15.47¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +0.8%
- All-sector price change
- +1.0%
- Total retail sales change
- +1.7%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 2
- Local measures (in force)
- 0 (0)
- Watchlist projects
- 2
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- $12.0B
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in West Virginia
Every planned generator in West Virginia 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.
None of the planned capacity is under construction yet.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2 | 579 MW | — |
| Battery storage | 1 | 150 MW | — |
| Solar | 3 | 120 MW | — |
| Other | 15 | 90 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Summit Energy | Harrison | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 372 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wolf Summit Energy LLC |
| Wolf Summit Energy | Harrison | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 207 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wolf Summit Energy LLC |
| Parks Valley Energy LLC | Hampshire | Batteries | 150 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Parks Valley Energy LLC |
| Bedington Energy Facility, LLC | Berkeley | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Bedington Energy Facility, LLC |
| Davis Solar (WV) | Tucker | Solar Photovoltaic | 12 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Monongahela Power Co |
| New Cumberland Hydroelectric Project | Hancock | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Current Hydro Project 19, LLC |
| Tygart Hydropower | Taylor | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Agilitas Energy, Inc. |
| Tygart Hydropower | Taylor | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Agilitas Energy, Inc. |
| Tygart Hydropower | Taylor | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Agilitas Energy, Inc. |
| New Cumberland Hydroelectric Project | Hancock | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Current Hydro Project 19, LLC |
| Wylie Ridge Solar | Hancock | Solar Photovoltaic | 8 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Monongahela Power Co |
| R.C. Byrd L&D Hydroelectric Project | Mason | Conventional Hydroelectric | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Ohio Power and Light LLC |
| R.C. Byrd L&D Hydroelectric Project | Mason | Conventional Hydroelectric | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Ohio Power and Light LLC |
| R.C. Byrd L&D Hydroelectric Project | Mason | Conventional Hydroelectric | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Ohio Power and Light LLC |
| R.C. Byrd L&D Hydroelectric Project | Mason | Conventional Hydroelectric | 5 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Ohio Power and Light LLC |
What the West Virginia build-out runs on
Who is building generation in West Virginia, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Summit Energy LLC | 2 | 579 MW | — | Natural gas | 1 |
| Parks Valley Energy LLC | 1 | 150 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| Bedington Energy Facility, LLC | 1 | 100 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Agilitas Energy, Inc. | 3 | 30 MW | — | Other | 1 |
| Ohio Power and Light LLC | 6 | 29 MW | — | Other | 1 |
| Current Hydro Project 19, LLC | 2 | 20 MW | — | Other | 1 |
| Monongahela Power Co | 2 | 20 MW | — | Solar | 2 |
| Rye Development | 4 | 11 MW | — | Other | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded West Virginia footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names West Virginia. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check derived
4 of the 4 planned units of 50 MW or more in West Virginia that are not yet under construction (829 of 829 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date, and 2 gas units are (579 MW) past the turbine order date as well. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Summit Energy | Natural gas | 372 MW | Dec 2028 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2023 | Wolf Summit Energy LLC |
| Wolf Summit Energy | Natural gas | 207 MW | Dec 2028 | Nov 2025 | Dec 2023 | Wolf Summit Energy LLC |
| Parks Valley Energy LLC | Battery storage | 150 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Parks Valley Energy LLC |
| Bedington Energy Facility, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | Oct 2028 | Sep 2025 | — | Bedington Energy Facility, LLC |
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 West Virginia
5 data centers run by 3 operators are identified in West Virginia. The full list by city is on the West Virginia Data Center Map page. Utilities report 2 large customer projects here to EEI.
| Utility | Customer or type | MW stated | Investment stated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Company (American Electric Power) | — | — | ||
| Appalachian Power Company (American Electric Power) | Nucor Steel | — | $4 billion |
The West Virginia 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 | 717.1k | ▼ 0.2% | ● 0.0% (-0.1k) |
| Construction | 34.6k | ▼ 2.0% | ▼ 2.8% (-1.0k) |
| Manufacturing | 44.8k | ▼ 0.7% | ▼ 4.5% (-2.1k) |
| Mining and logging | 19.4k | ▼ 4.4% | ▼ 12.6% (-2.8k) |
| Retail trade | 77.3k | ▼ 0.4% | ▼ 3.6% (-2.9k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 1,052 | 1,244 | ▲ 18.3% | $89,721 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,594 | 3,557 | ▲ 37.1% | $82,317 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,945 | 1,961 | ▲ 0.8% | $90,125 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 3,564 | — | $129,787 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | 16 | — | $64,466 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 17,360 | $26,370 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 6,240 | $26,070 | 0.99× |
| Retail salespersons | 19,050 | $28,950 | 1.10× |
| All occupations | 701,610 | $45,300 | 1.72× |
| Construction laborers | 6,620 | $42,670 | 1.62× |
| Welders | 2,100 | $48,810 | 1.85× |
| HVAC mechanics | 1,690 | $48,850 | 1.85× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 1,830 | $56,980 | 2.16× |
| Electricians | 4,290 | $64,810 | 2.46× |
| Power plant operators | 170 | $97,210 | 3.69× |
| Power-line installers | 1,260 | $83,810 | 3.18× |
| Construction supervisors | 5,380 | $80,060 | 3.04× |
| Electrical engineers | 500 | $113,420 | 4.30× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to West Virginia
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in West Virginia
State measures 2
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HB 4983 | West Virginia: Governor Patrick Morrisey signed HB 4983 on March 27, 2026, cementing rulemaking that deems confidential all petitions seeking certification | In force | 2026-03 | |
| SB 658 | West Virginia: Would restore local government control over data center siting in West Virginia, reversing HB 2014, the Power Generation and Consumption Act | Failed / vetoed | 2026-02 |
Delay Watchlist projects 2
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penzance Bedington data center campus | Bedington, Berkeley County | delayed | — | ||
| Jefferson County (WV) data center moratorium | Jefferson County | pending review | — |
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 West Virginia 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.
West Virginia's neighbors
West Virginia power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in West Virginia?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 939 MW of planned generators in West Virginia, 0 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is natural gas 62%, battery storage 16%, solar 13%. The largest single unit is Wolf Summit Energy (372 MW, Wolf Summit Energy LLC). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in West Virginia?
PJM serves most of West Virginia as the regional wholesale market and grid operator. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Are electricity prices rising in West Virginia?
Residential electricity averaged 15.47¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +0.8% on a year earlier, the 48th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed +3.1%.
Is planned generation in West Virginia on schedule?
4 of 4 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date, and 2 gas units are past the turbine order date (about five years). They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
Is the build-out creating trade jobs in West Virginia?
Construction employment is -2.8% against August 2019. Electrical contractor jobs went from 2,594 in 2019 to 3,557 in 2025 (+37.1%, 6th in the country).
What do electricians earn in West Virginia?
The median electrician in West Virginia earned $64,810 in May 2025, 2.46 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $83,810 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in West Virginia have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Harrison County (579 MW), Hampshire County (150 MW), Berkeley County (100 MW).
Does West Virginia have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 state-level measures (1 enacted) and 0 local moratoria or restrictions in West Virginia, 0 of them in force.
West Virginia 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.