Mineral County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Keyser
Mineral 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. Mineral County is home to Keyser, Carpendale, Piedmont and Ridgeley. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 5.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 8,616 jobs in 2025, up 10.5% from 2019. 115 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 169 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Mineral County
Mineral County is home to Keyser, Carpendale, Piedmont and Ridgeley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Burlington, Fort Ashby, Wiley Ford.
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 Mineral County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,892 | 26,792 | ▼ 0.4% | 22nd of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,800 | 8,616 | ▲ 10.5% | 11th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,180 | $58,083 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.7% | 4.0% | ▼ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 115 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Mineral 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. 26,792 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Mineral County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +115 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mineral 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% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 169 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Rock Wind | Black Rock Wind Force, LLC | Wind | 115 MW | 2022 |
| Pinnacle Wind Force LLC | Pinnacle Wind, LLC | Wind | 54 MW | 2011 |
The Mineral County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,616 | $58,083 | 1.00 |
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 Mineral County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mineral County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Mineral County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Mineral County, Grant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mineral County | 26,792 | ▲ 10.5% | 169 MW | — | — | — |
| Allegany County MD | 66,848 | ▼ 8.2% | 75 MW | — | — | — |
| Garrett County MD | 28,370 | ● 0.0% | 414 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 11,041 | ▲ 12.0% | 2,048 MW | — | — | — |
| Hampshire County | 24,105 | ▲ 13.8% | 20 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Hardy County | 14,337 | ▲ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Mineral County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mineral County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Mineral County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co, The Potomac Edison Company. The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mineral County?
2 operating plants with 169 MW of capacity. The largest is Black Rock Wind (115 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Mineral County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mineral County.
Is Mineral County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,616 jobs in 2025 against 7,800 in 2019 (+10.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Mineral County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mineral County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.