Berkeley County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Martinsburg
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Berkeley County. Berkeley County is home to Martinsburg. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Penzance Bedington data center campus. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Bedington Energy Facility, LLC (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among West Virginia's counties. Employers here counted 38,558 jobs in 2025, up 7.5% from 2019. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Berkeley County
Berkeley County is home to Martinsburg.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Falling Waters, Inwood.
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 Berkeley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 122,693 | 139,522 | ▲ 13.7% | 2nd of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 35,860 | 38,558 | ▲ 7.5% | 17th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,727 | $60,877 | ▲ 39.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 71 | 71 | ● 0.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 1471% of today's fleet | 3rd of 8 by size |
139,522 people live here, up 13.7% since 2020, 2nd of 55 West Virginia counties by population. Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 85% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 112, at an average $64,901 a year. The Potomac Edison Company is the largest utility serving Berkeley County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.59¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Who powers Berkeley County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Berkeley County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Potomac Edison Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 135,266 | 12.59¢ | 22% |
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 | 6 MW | 85% |
| Hydro | 1 MW | 15% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlowe Solar | Monongahela Power Co | Solar | 6 MW | 2025 |
| Dam No. 5 Hydro Station | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1919 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedington Energy Facility, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Bedington Energy Facility, LLC |
The Berkeley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 38,558 | $60,877 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 112 | $64,901 | 0.40 |
| Electric utilities | 117 | $121,618 | 1.12 |
| Data processing and hosting | 71 | $73,513 | 0.59 |
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 Berkeley County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penzance Bedington data center campus | delayed | — |
Berkeley County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Berkeley County, Frederick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley County | 139,522 | ▲ 7.5% | 7 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Clarke County VA | 15,609 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Frederick County VA | 99,955 | ▲ 16.4% | 223 MW | 30 MW | 1 | — |
| Jefferson County | 63,102 | ▲ 9.4% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 18,027 | ▲ 10.9% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Washington County MD | 157,731 | ▲ 1.8% | 74 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of West Virginia
Berkeley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Berkeley County, West Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Berkeley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: The Potomac Edison Company. The largest, The Potomac Edison Company, charged residential customers 12.59¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Martinsburg, WV in?
Martinsburg is in Berkeley County, West Virginia. About 19,211 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Berkeley County?
2 operating plants with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Marlowe Solar (6 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Berkeley County?
100 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Bedington Energy Facility, LLC.
Are there data centers in Berkeley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Berkeley County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Frederick County.
Is Berkeley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 38,558 jobs in 2025 against 35,860 in 2019 (+7.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Berkeley County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Berkeley County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.