Harrison County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clarksburg, Bridgeport and Shinnston
The data center boom is not abstract in Harrison County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Harrison County, 20% of West Virginia's total. Harrison County is home to Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Shinnston and Stonewood. 579 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Wolf Summit Energy LLC (natural gas), the largest pipeline among West Virginia's counties. Construction employs 2,276, down 13.0% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,052 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal, the 2nd largest fleet in West Virginia.
Cities and towns in Harrison County
Harrison County is home to Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Shinnston and Stonewood.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Despard, East View, Enterprise, Gypsy, Hepzibah, Reynoldsville, Spelter, Wallace, Wolf Summit.
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 Harrison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,846 | 64,221 | ▼ 2.5% | 7th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 36,860 | 37,414 | ▲ 1.5% | 26th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,695 | $65,744 | ▲ 27.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,616 | 2,276 | ▼ 13.0% | 21st of 26 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 3.5% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 579 MW | 28% of today's fleet | 1st of 8 by size |
Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 37,414 jobs in 2025, up 1.5% from 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Harrison County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. 64,221 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020, 7th of 55 West Virginia counties by population.
Who powers Harrison County
Utilities with service territory in Harrison County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monongahela Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 334,588 | 13.97¢ | 26% |
| Harrison Rural Elec Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,052 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Harrison Power Station | Monongahela Power Co | Coal | 2,052 MW | 1972 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Summit Energy | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 372 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wolf Summit Energy LLC |
| Wolf Summit Energy | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 207 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wolf Summit Energy LLC |
The Harrison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 37,414 | $65,744 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,276 | $77,160 | 1.15 |
| Electric utilities | 95 | $131,763 | 0.94 |
| Data processing and hosting | 11 | $95,487 | 0.09 |
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 Harrison County
1 data center in Harrison County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Harrison County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Harrison County, Taylor 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrison County | 64,221 | ▲ 1.5% | 2,052 MW | 579 MW | 1 | — |
| Barbour County | 15,414 | ▲ 10.4% | 98 MW | — | — | — |
| Doddridge County | 7,634 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Lewis County | 16,394 | ▼ 7.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Marion County | 55,584 | ▼ 2.0% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 16,287 | ▲ 9.5% | — | 30 MW | — | — |
| Upshur County | 23,758 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Wetzel County | 13,734 | ▲ 0.4% | 37 MW | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Harrison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Harrison County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Harrison County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co, Harrison Rural Elec Assn, Inc. The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Clarksburg, WV in?
Clarksburg is in Harrison County, West Virginia. About 15,562 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Harrison County?
1 operating plant with 2,052 MW of capacity. The largest is FirstEnergy Harrison Power Station (2,052 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Harrison County?
579 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Wolf Summit Energy LLC.
Are there data centers in Harrison County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Harrison County.
Is Harrison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 37,414 jobs in 2025 against 36,860 in 2019 (+1.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,616 to 2,276.
Does Harrison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Harrison County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.