Greenbrier County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lewisburg, White Sulphur Springs and Ronceverte
No data center or power plant project is on record in Greenbrier County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Greenbrier County is home to Lewisburg, White Sulphur Springs, Ronceverte and Rainelle. Construction employs 524, up 19.4% since 2019. Employers here counted 12,265 jobs in 2025, down 6.9% from 2019. 56 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Greenbrier County
Greenbrier County is home to Lewisburg, White Sulphur Springs, Ronceverte and Rainelle.
- Alderson also extends into Monroe County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fairlea.
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 Greenbrier County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 32,906 | 31,578 | ▼ 4.0% | 16th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,179 | 12,265 | ▼ 6.9% | 46th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,726 | $45,917 | ▲ 21.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 439 | 524 | ▲ 19.4% | 10th of 26 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28 | 26 | ▼ 7.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 56 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 188 MW of capacity, 83% of it wind, the 10th largest fleet in West Virginia. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Greenbrier County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. Electrical contractors employ 26, down 7.1% since 2019 against up 37.1% statewide, at an average $34,156 a year. 31,578 people live here, down 4.0% since 2020.
Who powers Greenbrier County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +56 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Greenbrier County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 348,946 | 16.77¢ | 27% |
| Monongahela Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 334,588 | 13.97¢ | 26% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 157 MW | 83% |
| Battery storage | 32 MW | 17% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beech Ridge Energy LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 100 MW | 2010 |
| Beech Ridge II Wind Energy Center | Southern Power Co | Wind | 56 MW | 2020 |
| Beech Ridge Energy Storage | Invenergy Services LLC | Battery storage | 32 MW | 2015 |
The Greenbrier County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,265 | $45,917 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 524 | $43,393 | 0.81 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $34,156 | 0.29 |
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 Greenbrier County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Greenbrier County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Greenbrier County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Greenbrier County, Bath 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbrier County | 31,578 | ▼ 6.9% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Alleghany County VA | 14,546 | ▼ 13.1% | 244 MW | — | — | — |
| Bath County VA | 4,076 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,867 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 38,165 | ▲ 1.0% | 108 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 12,491 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Nicholas County | 23,848 | ▼ 2.6% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Pocahontas County | 7,602 | ▼ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Summers County | 11,532 | ▼ 0.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 7,760 | ▼ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Greenbrier County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Greenbrier County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Greenbrier County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co, Monongahela Power Co. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Greenbrier County?
3 operating plants with 188 MW of capacity. The largest is Beech Ridge Energy LLC (100 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Greenbrier County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Greenbrier County.
Is Greenbrier County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,265 jobs in 2025 against 13,179 in 2019 (-6.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 439 to 524.
Does Greenbrier County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Greenbrier County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.