Monongalia County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morgantown, Westover and Star City
Monongalia County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Monongalia County is home to Morgantown, Westover, Star City and Granville. 11 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Rye Development (other technologies), the 8th largest pipeline among West Virginia's counties. Electrical contractors employ 365, up 30.8% since 2019 against up 37.1% statewide, at an average $81,791 a year. Its power plants have 2,047 MW of capacity, 99% of it coal, the 4th largest fleet in West Virginia. Construction employs 2,444, up 5.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Monongalia County
Monongalia County is home to Morgantown, Westover, Star City and Granville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Booth, Brookhaven, Cassville, Cheat Lake, Osage, Pentress.
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 Monongalia County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 105,917 | 107,991 | ▲ 2.0% | 3rd of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 56,815 | 59,770 | ▲ 5.2% | 19th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,113 | $68,076 | ▲ 28.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,328 | 2,444 | ▲ 5.0% | 15th of 26 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 279 | 365 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 19 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 11 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 8th of 8 by size |
19 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 59,770 jobs in 2025, up 5.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Monongalia County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. 107,991 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020, 3rd of 55 West Virginia counties by population.
Who powers Monongalia County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +19 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monongalia 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% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,028 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 19 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Fort Martin Power Station | Monongahela Power Co | Coal | 1,152 MW | 1967 |
| Longview Power Plant | Longview Power, LLC | Coal | 808 MW | 2011 |
| Morgantown Energy Facility | Morgantown Energy Associates | Coal | 69 MW | 1991 |
| Fort Martin Solar | Monongahela Power Co | Solar | 19 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opekiska L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 3 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Opekiska L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 3 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Morgantown L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
| Morgantown L&D Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 2 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Rye Development |
The Monongalia County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 59,770 | $68,076 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,444 | $69,543 | 0.77 |
| Electrical contractors | 365 | $81,791 | 0.85 |
| Power and communication line construction | 40 | $61,685 | 0.41 |
| Electric utilities | 394 | $142,340 | 2.44 |
| Data processing and hosting | 221 | $68,618 | 1.19 |
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 Monongalia County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Monongalia County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Monongalia County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Monongalia County, Fayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monongalia County | 107,991 | ▲ 5.2% | 2,047 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Fayette County PA | 123,021 | ▼ 4.7% | 932 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Greene County PA | 33,885 | ▼ 9.2% | 665 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
| Marion County | 55,584 | ▼ 2.0% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Preston County | 34,004 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 16,287 | ▲ 9.5% | — | 30 MW | — | — |
| Wetzel County | 13,734 | ▲ 0.4% | 37 MW | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Monongalia County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monongalia County, West Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Monongalia County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co. The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Morgantown, WV in?
Morgantown is in Monongalia County, West Virginia. About 30,293 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monongalia County?
4 operating plants with 2,047 MW of capacity. The largest is FirstEnergy Fort Martin Power Station (1,152 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Monongalia County?
11 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Rye Development.
Are there data centers in Monongalia County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monongalia County.
Is Monongalia County adding jobs?
Employers counted 59,770 jobs in 2025 against 56,815 in 2019 (+5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,328 to 2,444.
Does Monongalia County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monongalia County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.