# Monroe County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy No data center or power plant project is on record in Monroe County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Monroe County is home to Peterstown, Union and part of Alderson (120 of its 925 residents). Next door, Craig County, Virginia, has 1 data center. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,882 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. -2.0% total jobs since 2019, now 1,882 16.77¢ per kWh for Appalachian Power Co residential customers, 2024 12,491 residents, 2025 ## Cities and towns in Monroe County Monroe County is home to Peterstown, Union and part of Alderson (120 of its 925 residents). Peterstown449 residents Union418 residents Alderson120 residents · 13% of the city - Alderson also extends into [Greenbrier County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/west-virginia/greenbrier-county). 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 Monroe County | Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia | |---|---|---|---|---| | Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,388 | 12,491 | ▲ 0.8% | 40th of 55 by size | | Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,921 | 1,882 | ▼ 2.0% | 36th of 55 by growth | | Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,635 | $50,256 | ▲ 23.7% | — | | Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.8pts | — | 12,491 people live here, up 0.8% since 2020. ## Who powers Monroe County ### Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% | | Craig-Botetourt Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — | 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 Monroe County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere. ## The Monroe County labor market | Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. | |---|---|---|---| | All industries | 1,882 | $50,256 | 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 Monroe County No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Monroe County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide. ## Monroe County and its neighbors Of the 5 counties that border Monroe County, Giles 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 | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Monroe County | 12,491 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — | | Alleghany County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/alleghany-county) VA | 14,546 | ▼ 13.1% | 244 MW | — | — | — | | Craig County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/craig-county) VA | 4,800 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | 1 | — | | Giles County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/giles-county) VA | 16,564 | ▲ 16.1% | 27 MW | — | 1 | — | | Greenbrier County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/west-virginia/greenbrier-county) | 31,578 | ▼ 6.9% | 188 MW | — | — | — | | Summers County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/west-virginia/summers-county) | 11,532 | ▼ 0.4% | — | — | — | — | ## More of West Virginia [All West Virginia countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/west-virginia)[Greenbrier County31,578 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/west-virginia/greenbrier-county)[Summers County11,532 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/west-virginia/summers-county) ## Monroe County, answered from the record ### Who provides electricity in Monroe County, West Virginia? 3 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co, Monongahela Power Co, Craig-Botetourt Electric Coop. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024. ### Are there data centers in Monroe County? The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monroe County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Craig County. ### Is Monroe County adding jobs? Employers counted 1,882 jobs in 2025 against 1,921 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). ### Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium? No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page. --- Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/west-virginia/monroe-county Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).