Lawrence County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Moulton and Town Creek
New generation is lining up in Lawrence County. Lawrence County is home to Moulton, Town Creek, Courtland and North Courtland. 393 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Urban Grid Solar (solar), the 3rd largest pipeline among Alabama's counties. Employers here counted 5,551 jobs in 2025, up 10.3% from 2019. Construction employs 334, down 5.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 404 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Lawrence County
Lawrence County is home to Moulton, Town Creek, Courtland and North Courtland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hatton.
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 Lawrence County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,085 | 33,843 | ▲ 2.3% | 35th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,033 | 5,551 | ▲ 10.3% | 12th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,733 | $51,054 | ▲ 42.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 352 | 334 | ▼ 5.1% | 39th of 41 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.2% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 393 MW | 97% of today's fleet | 3rd of 11 by size |
Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Lawrence County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. 33,843 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Who powers Lawrence County
Utilities with service territory in Lawrence 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% |
| Cullman Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 39,779 | 13.26¢ | 22% |
| Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,973 | 14.49¢ | 18% |
| City of Courtland | Municipal | Bundled | 551 | 11.91¢ | 74% |
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 | 404 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeler Dam | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 404 MW | 1936 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsboro Solar 3 | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Urban Grid Solar |
| Lawrence County Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 193 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
The Lawrence County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,551 | $51,054 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 334 | $61,571 | 1.14 |
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 Lawrence County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lawrence County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Lawrence County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Lawrence County, Limestone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence County | 33,843 | ▲ 10.3% | 404 MW | 393 MW | — | — |
| Colbert County | 59,474 | ▲ 2.1% | 1,397 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Cullman County | 94,009 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 32,449 | ▼ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Lauderdale County | 97,135 | ▲ 4.3% | 742 MW | — | — | — |
| Limestone County | 122,928 | ▲ 42.6% | 3,869 MW | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 126,483 | ▲ 9.3% | 1,804 MW | — | — | — |
| Winston County | 23,829 | ● 0.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Lawrence County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lawrence County, Alabama?
4 utilities have service territory in Lawrence County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, Cullman Electric Coop, Inc, Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp, City of Courtland. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lawrence County?
1 operating plant with 404 MW of capacity. The largest is Wheeler Dam (404 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Lawrence County?
393 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Urban Grid Solar.
Are there data centers in Lawrence County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lawrence County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Colbert County.
Is Lawrence County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,551 jobs in 2025 against 5,033 in 2019 (+10.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 352 to 334.
Does Lawrence County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lawrence County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.