Lewis County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Weston
Lewis County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Lewis County is home to Weston. Construction employs 371, down 33.3% since 2019. Next door, Harrison County has 1 data center and 579 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 6.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 5,726 jobs in 2025, down 7.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Lewis County
Lewis County is home to Weston.
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 Lewis County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,021 | 16,394 | ▼ 3.7% | 34th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,196 | 5,726 | ▼ 7.6% | 47th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,750 | $52,143 | ▲ 7.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 556 | 371 | ▼ 33.3% | 24th of 26 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.2% | 4.6% | ▼ 1.6pts | — |
Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Lewis 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. 16,394 people live here, down 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers Lewis County
Utilities with service territory in Lewis 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.
No operating power plant is located in Lewis County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lewis County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,726 | $52,143 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 371 | $67,694 | 1.22 |
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 Lewis County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lewis County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Lewis County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Lewis County, Harrison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis County | 16,394 | ▼ 7.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Braxton County | 11,885 | ▲ 33.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Doddridge County | 7,634 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Gilmer County | 7,085 | ▼ 2.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 64,221 | ▲ 1.5% | 2,052 MW | 579 MW | 1 | — |
| Upshur County | 23,758 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 7,760 | ▼ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Lewis County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lewis County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Lewis 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.
Are there data centers in Lewis County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lewis County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harrison County.
Is Lewis County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,726 jobs in 2025 against 6,196 in 2019 (-7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 556 to 371.
Does Lewis County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lewis County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.