Chilton County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clanton, Jemison and Thorsby
Chilton 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. Chilton County is home to Clanton, Jemison, Thorsby and Maplesville. Construction employs 625, up 4.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 177 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Chilton County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. Employers here counted 9,431 jobs in 2025, down 1.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Chilton County
Chilton County is home to Clanton, Jemison, Thorsby and Maplesville.
- Calera also extends into Shelby 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 Chilton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 45,053 | 47,708 | ▲ 5.9% | 29th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,551 | 9,431 | ▼ 1.3% | 45th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,088 | $49,222 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 596 | 625 | ▲ 4.9% | 36th of 41 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 91 | 80 | ▼ 12.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
47,708 people live here, up 5.9% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 80, down 12.1% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $71,366 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019.
Who powers Chilton County
Utilities with service territory in Chilton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,332,911 | 16.77¢ | 26% |
| Central Alabama Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,036 | 16.64¢ | 14% |
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 | 177 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lay Dam | Alabama Power Co | Hydro | 177 MW | 1967 |
The Chilton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,431 | $49,222 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 625 | $71,378 | 1.25 |
| Electrical contractors | 80 | $71,366 | 1.18 |
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 Chilton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Chilton County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Chilton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Chilton County, Autauga 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilton County | 47,708 | ▼ 1.3% | 177 MW | — | — | — |
| Autauga County | 61,920 | ▲ 16.8% | 3,342 MW | — | — | — |
| Bibb County | 22,262 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Coosa County | 10,161 | ▲ 1.0% | 170 MW | — | — | — |
| Dallas County | 35,140 | ▼ 5.9% | 104 MW | 95 MW | — | — |
| Elmore County | 91,577 | ▲ 11.4% | 677 MW | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 7,425 | ▼ 14.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 238,552 | ▼ 0.1% | 2,034 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Chilton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chilton County, Alabama?
2 utilities have service territory in Chilton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, Central Alabama Electric Coop. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Chilton County?
1 operating plant with 177 MW of capacity. The largest is Lay Dam (177 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Chilton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chilton County.
Is Chilton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,431 jobs in 2025 against 9,551 in 2019 (-1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 596 to 625.
Does Chilton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Chilton County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.