Covington County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Andalusia, Opp and Florala
Covington 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. Electrical contractors employ 79, up 154.8% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $52,180 a year. Covington County is home to Andalusia, Opp, Florala and Babbie. Next door, Okaloosa County, Florida, has 1 data center. 80 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 742 MW of capacity, 88% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Covington County
Covington County is home to Andalusia, Opp, Florala and Babbie.
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 Covington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,508 | 37,947 | ▲ 1.2% | 31st of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,240 | 12,461 | ▲ 1.8% | 34th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,918 | $50,610 | ▲ 37.1% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31 | 79 | ▲ 154.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.6% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 80 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 12,461 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019. Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Covington County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 37,947 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Covington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +80 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Covington 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% |
| Covington Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,281 | 16.65¢ | 16% |
| Wiregrass Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,401 | 15.45¢ | 20% |
| Southern Pine Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,645 | 13.90¢ | 37% |
| City of Andalusia | Municipal | Bundled | 3,605 | 15.78¢ | 19% |
| City of Opp - (AL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Pioneer Electric Coop, Inc - (AL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 654 MW | 88% |
| Solar | 80 MW | 11% |
| Hydro | 8 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McWilliams | PowerSouth Energy Cooperative | Natural gas | 654 MW | 1954 |
| Wing | Origis Energy USA, Inc | Solar | 80 MW | 2023 |
| Point A | PowerSouth Energy Cooperative | Hydro | 5 MW | 1925 |
| Gantt | PowerSouth Energy Cooperative | Hydro | 3 MW | 1926 |
The Covington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,461 | $50,610 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 79 | $52,180 | 0.88 |
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 Covington County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Covington County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Okaloosa County, Walton County.
Covington County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Covington County, Walton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covington County | 37,947 | ▲ 1.8% | 742 MW | — | — | — |
| Butler County | 18,100 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 56,953 | ▲ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Conecuh County | 10,899 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Crenshaw County | 13,175 | ▼ 8.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Escambia County | 36,665 | ▲ 0.6% | 183 MW | — | — | — |
| Geneva County | 27,554 | ▲ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Okaloosa County FL | 221,810 | ▲ 4.3% | 328 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Walton County FL | 93,288 | ▲ 29.4% | 298 MW | 74 MW | — | 1 |
More of Alabama
Covington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Covington County, Alabama?
7 utilities have service territory in Covington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, Covington Electric Coop, Inc, Wiregrass Electric Coop, Inc, Southern Pine Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Covington County?
4 operating plants with 742 MW of capacity. The largest is McWilliams (654 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Covington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Covington County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Okaloosa County.
Is Covington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,461 jobs in 2025 against 12,240 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Covington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Covington County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.