Wetzel County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to New Martinsville and Paden City
Wetzel 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. Wetzel County is home to New Martinsville and most of Paden City (1,606 of its 2,381 residents). Unemployment was 6.0% in August 2026, against 8.6% in 2019. Construction employs 241, down 17.7% since 2019. Next door, Harrison County has 1 data center and 579 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 37 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Wetzel County
Wetzel County is home to New Martinsville and most of Paden City (1,606 of its 2,381 residents).
- Paden City also extends into Tyler County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Jacksonburg, Littleton, Reader.
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 Wetzel County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,404 | 13,734 | ▼ 4.7% | 38th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,425 | 4,442 | ▲ 0.4% | 29th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,142 | $53,311 | ▲ 43.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 293 | 241 | ▼ 17.7% | 22nd of 26 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 8.6% | 6.0% | ▼ 2.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Wetzel County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. Employers here counted 4,442 jobs in 2025, up 0.4% from 2019. 13,734 people live here, down 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers Wetzel County
Utilities with service territory in Wetzel 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% |
| Wheeling Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 34,392 | 17.41¢ | 8% |
| City of New Martinsville - (WV) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 37 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Martinsville Hannibal Hydro | New Martinsville Hannibal Hydro | Hydro | 37 MW | 1988 |
The Wetzel County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,442 | $53,311 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 241 | $68,034 | 1.02 |
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 Wetzel County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wetzel County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Wetzel County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Wetzel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetzel County | 13,734 | ▲ 0.4% | 37 MW | — | — | — |
| Doddridge County | 7,634 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Greene County PA | 33,885 | ▼ 9.2% | 665 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
| Harrison County | 64,221 | ▲ 1.5% | 2,052 MW | 579 MW | 1 | — |
| Marion County | 55,584 | ▼ 2.0% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 29,159 | ▼ 14.0% | 1,748 MW | — | — | — |
| Monongalia County | 107,991 | ▲ 5.2% | 2,047 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Monroe County OH | 12,994 | ▼ 5.9% | 530 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Tyler County | 7,881 | ▼ 6.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Wetzel County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wetzel County, West Virginia?
3 utilities have service territory in Wetzel County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co, Wheeling Power Co, City of New Martinsville - (WV). The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Wetzel County?
1 operating plant with 37 MW of capacity. The largest is New Martinsville Hannibal Hydro (37 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Wetzel County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wetzel County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harrison County.
Is Wetzel County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,442 jobs in 2025 against 4,425 in 2019 (+0.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 293 to 241.
Does Wetzel County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wetzel County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.