Power Supply Chain and Demand in Alabama
Vertically integrated utilities run most of Alabama's grid. 1,909 MW of new generation is planned in Alabama, 80 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 32 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 16.54¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +3.6% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, and construction employment is +20.5% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 18 local moratoria or restrictions for Alabama across all statuses (17 in force) and 5 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Alabama
Alabama is in the middle of the pack, with a few sharp signals worth watching. Data processing and hosting jobs grew 79.2% from 2019 to 2025, 6th of 46 states that disclose the industry. Electrical contractor jobs, the trade every data center, substation and plant needs first, grew 28.7% from 2019 to 2025, 13th in the country. Construction employment is +20.5% against August 2019, 17th of 48 states where BLS publishes it. The weak spot: planned generation vs. today's fleet ranks 41st of 51 at 6%.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 94.3k | 113.6k | ▲ 20.5% | 17th of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,538 | 17,424 | ▲ 28.7% | 13th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,747 | 5,838 | ▲ 23.0% | 23rd of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,106 | 3,774 | ▲ 79.2% | 6th of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 3.3% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 15.97¢ | 16.54¢ | ▲ 3.6% | 40th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 33.1 GW operating | 1.9 GW planned | 6% of fleet | 41st of 51 |
Where Alabama ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Regionally, Georgia leads on data processing and hosting jobs, 2019 to 2025 at +83.7%; Alabama is 2nd of 5 in its neighborhood at +79.2%.
County spotlight
Madison County holds the most data centers on record in Alabama (10), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +58.4% since 2019 to 1,885 jobs. The largest share of planned generation sits in Washington County: 438 MW, led by PowerSouth Energy Cooperative (natural gas). The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Montgomery County, where contractor jobs grew 61.4% to 1,072.
Where Alabama sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- Non-RTO (utility-run)
- Operating capacity
- 33.1 GW
- Planned generation
- 1,909 MW
- Under construction or built
- 80 MW
- Data centers identified
- 32
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 3.4%
- Residential price change
- +3.6%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Alabama, county by county
67 counties in Alabama. Planned generation sits in 11 of them, data centers stand in 11, and local measures are on record in 1. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 32
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 10 | — | — | — | 1,885 | ▲ 58.4% | — | — | |
| Jefferson County | 8 | — | — | — | 3,054 | ▲ 7.0% | — | 2 | |
| Montgomery County | 4 | 80 MW | — | SR Hope Hull, LLC | 1,072 | ▲ 61.4% | — | — | |
| Jackson County | 2 | 200 MW | — | Crawfish Creek Energy Storage LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Lee County | 2 | — | — | — | 500 | ▲ 17.1% | — | — | |
| Mobile County | 1 | 8 MW | — | SR Lott, LLC | 2,716 | ▲ 59.7% | — | 1 | |
| Tuscaloosa County | 1 | — | — | — | 715 | ▲ 29.5% | — | 1 | |
| Etowah County | 1 | — | — | — | 238 | ▲ 16.1% | — | — | |
| Calhoun County | 1 | — | — | — | 203 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | |
| Clarke County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Houston County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Washington County | — | 438 MW | — | PowerSouth Energy Cooperative | — | — | — | — | |
| Talladega County | — | 400 MW | — | DEGA bn, LLC | 87 | ▼ 19.4% | — | — | |
| Lawrence County | — | 393 MW | — | Urban Grid Solar | — | — | — | — | |
| Colbert County | — | 200 MW | — | Urban Grid Solar | 489 | ▲ 32.2% | — | — | |
| Dallas County | — | 95 MW | — | Alabama Creek Solar, LLC | 41 | ▼ 21.2% | — | — | |
| Baldwin County | — | 80 MW | 80 MW | Foley Solar, LLC | 693 | ▲ 35.1% | — | — | |
| Fayette County | — | 10 MW | — | SR Sipsey, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Marion County | — | 4 MW | — | SR Bear Creek, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Shelby County | — | — | — | — | 799 | ▲ 59.5% | — | — | |
| Morgan County | — | — | — | — | 530 | ▲ 6.4% | — | — | |
| DeKalb County | — | — | — | — | 179 | ▲ 289.1% | — | — | |
| Choctaw County | — | — | — | — | 139 | ▲ 595.0% | — | — | |
| Autauga County | — | — | — | — | 129 | ▲ 48.3% | — | — | |
| Limestone County | — | — | — | — | 121 | — | — | — | |
| Chilton County | — | — | — | — | 80 | ▼ 12.1% | — | — | |
| Covington County | — | — | — | — | 79 | ▲ 154.8% | — | — | |
| Blount County | — | — | — | — | 59 | — | — | — | |
| Lamar County | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | — | — | |
| Crenshaw County | — | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | |
| Cherokee County | — | — | — | — | 18 | — | — | — | |
| Lowndes County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — |
Every county in Alabama 67
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 25
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huntsville | Madison County + Limestone County | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Birmingham | Jefferson County + Shelby County | 8 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month pause on large data center applications In force | |
| Montgomery | Montgomery County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Auburn | Lee County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Anniston | Calhoun County | 1 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Twelve-month moratorium on data center permitting and licensing In force | |
| Dothan | Houston County + Dale County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Gadsden | Etowah County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Mobile | Mobile County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Tuscaloosa | Tuscaloosa County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Chelsea | Shelby County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year moratorium on data center licenses and permits In force | |
| Cullman | Cullman County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year data center moratorium In force | |
| Fairfield | Jefferson County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers In force | |
| Foley | Baldwin County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month moratorium on data center applications In force | |
| Fort Payne | DeKalb County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Data center moratorium followed by conditional-use ordinance In force | |
| Harpersville | Shelby County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month data center moratorium In force | |
| Helena | Shelby County + Jefferson County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | 180-day development moratorium that includes data centers In force | |
| Homewood | Jefferson County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Twelve-month moratorium on new data center applications In force | |
| Leeds | Jefferson County + St. Clair County + Shelby County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year moratorium on data center development In force | |
| Northport | Tuscaloosa County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Data center moratorium not pursued Failed / vetoed | |
| Pinson | Jefferson County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year moratorium on data centers In force | |
| Prichard | Mobile County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through February 4, 2027 In force | |
| Springville | St. Clair County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Moratorium on data centers In force | |
| Tarrant | Jefferson County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through September 8, 2027 In force | |
| Westover | Shelby County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month moratorium on data centers In force | |
| Alabama | — | — | — | 1 | Meta Alabama |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Alabama, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
Utility-run territory: resource planning sits with the vertically integrated utilities and the state commission.
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 33.1 GW
- Planned, all types
- 1,909 MW
- Under construction or built
- 80 MW
- Planned gas
- 438 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 80 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 32
- Operators
- 14
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 2
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- +0.3%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.3%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 3.4% (+0.6 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +20.5%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- +4.8%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +28.7%
- Electrician median pay
- $55,690
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 1.97×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 16.54¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +3.6%
- All-sector price change
- +2.1%
- Total retail sales change
- +0.6%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 3
- Local measures (in force)
- 18 (17)
- Watchlist projects
- 5
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- $12.3B
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in Alabama
Every planned generator in Alabama in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 11 | 1,071 MW | 80 MW |
| Natural gas | 1 | 438 MW | — |
| Battery storage | 2 | 400 MW | — |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowman Energy Center | Washington | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 438 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | PowerSouth Energy Cooperative |
| Hillsboro Solar 3 | Lawrence | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Urban Grid Solar |
| Spring Valley Solar 2 | Colbert | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Urban Grid Solar |
| Crawfish Creek Energy Storage | Jackson | Batteries | 200 MW | Approvals received | 2029 | Crawfish Creek Energy Storage LLC |
| Dega Solar and Storage | Talladega | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | DEGA bn, LLC |
| Dega Solar and Storage | Talladega | Batteries | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | DEGA bn, LLC |
| Lawrence County Solar | Lawrence | Solar Photovoltaic | 193 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Foley Solar, LLC | Baldwin | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Foley Solar, LLC |
| Alabama Creek Solar | Dallas | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Alabama Creek Solar, LLC |
| SR Hope Hull | Montgomery | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Hope Hull, LLC |
| SR Marion Junction | Dallas | Solar Photovoltaic | 15 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Marion Junction, LLC |
| SR Sipsey | Fayette | Solar Photovoltaic | 10 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Sipsey, LLC |
| SR Lott | Mobile | Solar Photovoltaic | 8 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Lott, LLC |
| SR Bear Creek | Marion | Solar Photovoltaic | 4 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Bear Creek, LLC |
What the Alabama build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Alabama, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PowerSouth Energy Cooperative | 1 | 438 MW | — | Natural gas | 1 |
| DEGA bn, LLC | 2 | 400 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Urban Grid Solar | 2 | 400 MW | — | Solar | 2 |
| Crawfish Creek Energy Storage LLC | 1 | 200 MW | — | Battery storage | 1 |
| Tennessee Valley Authority | 1 | 193 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Alabama Creek Solar, LLC | 1 | 80 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Foley Solar, LLC | 1 | 80 MW | 80 MW | Solar | 1 |
| SR Hope Hull, LLC | 1 | 80 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| SR Marion Junction, LLC | 1 | 15 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| SR Sipsey, LLC | 1 | 10 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| SR Lott, LLC | 1 | 8 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| SR Bear Creek, LLC | 1 | 4 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Alabama footprint 5
| Tier | Company | Segment | What the record says | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Generation OEM | Siemens Energy | US manufacturing | $1 billion U.S. manufacturing investment incl. large power transformers in North Carolina and gas turbine components in FL, AL, NY, TX | |
| Generation OEM | First Solar | Thin-film PV modules | Five U.S. factories (OH x3, AL, LA) with 17+ GW/yr collective capacity when fully operational | |
| Grid equipment OEM | HD Hyundai Electric | Power transformers | Montgomery, AL plant expansion | |
| Grid equipment OEM | Virginia Transformer Corp. | Power transformers 2–500 MVA | New 600,000 sq ft Muscle Shoals, AL plant, 1,100 jobs; Rincon, GA expansion +50% capacity | |
| Grid equipment OEM | HD Hyundai Electric | Power transformers (Montgomery, AL) | $200 million Alabama expansion |
Order-by check derived
7 of the 9 planned units of 50 MW or more in Alabama that are not yet under construction (1,391 of 1,791 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date, and 1 gas unit is (438 MW) past the turbine order date as well. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowman Energy Center | Natural gas | 438 MW | Nov 2029 | Oct 2026 | Nov 2024 | PowerSouth Energy Cooperative |
| Hillsboro Solar 3 | Solar | 200 MW | May 2027 | Apr 2024 | — | Urban Grid Solar |
| Spring Valley Solar 2 | Solar | 200 MW | Feb 2028 | Jan 2025 | — | Urban Grid Solar |
| Crawfish Creek Energy Storage | Battery storage | 200 MW | Jun 2029 | May 2026 | — | Crawfish Creek Energy Storage LLC |
| Lawrence County Solar | Solar | 193 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Alabama Creek Solar | Solar | 80 MW | Oct 2027 | Sep 2024 | — | Alabama Creek Solar, LLC |
| SR Hope Hull | Solar | 80 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | SR Hope Hull, LLC |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Alabama
32 data centers run by 14 operators are identified in Alabama. The full list by city is on the Alabama Data Center Map page. Utilities report 2 large customer projects here to EEI.
| Utility | Customer or type | MW stated | Investment stated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Power (Southern Company) | Meta | — | $1.5 billion | |
| Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) | 50 MW | $1.5 billion |
The Alabama jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 2,221.0k | ▲ 1.1% | ▲ 6.6% (+137.4k) |
| Construction | 113.6k | ▲ 3.1% | ▲ 20.5% (+19.3k) |
| Manufacturing | 281.9k | ▼ 0.3% | ▲ 4.8% (+12.9k) |
| Mining and logging | 9.5k | ▲ 2.1% | ▼ 7.8% (-0.8k) |
| Retail trade | 240.4k | ▲ 0.4% | ▲ 4.4% (+10.1k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 2,106 | 3,774 | ▲ 79.2% | $110,769 |
| Electrical contractors | 13,538 | 17,424 | ▲ 28.7% | $72,640 |
| Power and communication line construction | 4,747 | 5,838 | ▲ 23.0% | $104,478 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 10,955 | — | $153,336 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | 882 | — | $78,273 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 46,420 | $28,250 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 41,460 | $23,700 | 0.84× |
| Retail salespersons | 60,880 | $30,040 | 1.06× |
| All occupations | 2,113,660 | $45,670 | 1.62× |
| Construction laborers | 18,400 | $36,900 | 1.31× |
| Welders | 12,450 | $48,490 | 1.72× |
| HVAC mechanics | 8,260 | $48,370 | 1.71× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 6,950 | $58,670 | 2.08× |
| Electricians | 10,900 | $55,690 | 1.97× |
| Power plant operators | 790 | $107,080 | 3.79× |
| Power-line installers | 2,730 | $92,030 | 3.26× |
| Construction supervisors | 13,580 | $64,120 | 2.27× |
| Electrical engineers | 4,600 | $125,630 | 4.45× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Alabama
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
The rules and the pipeline in Alabama
State measures 3
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SB 354 | Alabama: In Alabama, SB 354 would impose a one-year moratorium on construction of new large-scale solar power facilities, Prompted by opposition | Failed / vetoed | 2026-03 | |
| HB 399 | Alabama HB 399, sponsored by Rep. Hulsey (R-Helena), is the House companion to SB 265. | In force | 2026-02 | |
| SB 270 | PSC review of large-load data center contracts | Proposed | 2026 |
Delay Watchlist projects 5
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Forge 2 | Brookwood (Tuscaloosa County) | approved amid opposition | 210 MW | ||
| Nebius Data Center (Oxmoor Valley, Birmingham) | Birmingham, Jefferson County (Oxmoor Valley) | active litigation | — | ||
| Bessemer Proposed Data Center (Little Blue Creek) | Bessemer, Jefferson County | zoning request paused active litigation | — | ||
| Edged data center (Telegraph Road) | City of Prichard (Mobile County) | approved amid opposition | — | ||
| Meta Alabama | Alabama | cancelled | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (18) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Alabama Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Alabama's neighbors
Alabama power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Alabama?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 1,909 MW of planned generators in Alabama, 80 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is solar 56%, natural gas 23%, battery storage 21%. The largest single unit is Lowman Energy Center (438 MW, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Alabama?
Non-RTO (utility-run) serves most of Alabama, which means vertically integrated utilities plan and dispatch generation under the state commission. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Is planned generation in Alabama on schedule?
7 of 9 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date, and 1 gas units are past the turbine order date (about five years). They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
Are electricity prices rising in Alabama?
Residential electricity averaged 16.54¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +3.6% on a year earlier, the 40th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed +0.3%.
Is the build-out creating trade jobs in Alabama?
Construction employment is +20.5% against August 2019. Electrical contractor jobs went from 13,538 in 2019 to 17,424 in 2025 (+28.7%, 13th in the country).
Which counties in Alabama have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Washington County (438 MW), Talladega County (400 MW), Lawrence County (393 MW).
Which utilities report large-load projects in Alabama?
Utilities report 2 large customer projects in Alabama to EEI, including Alabama Power (Southern Company), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
Does Alabama have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 3 state-level measures (1 enacted) and 18 local moratoria or restrictions in Alabama, 17 of them in force, 26th most in the country.
Alabama across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.