Madison County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Huntsville, Madison and Triana
Madison County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Madison County, 31% of Alabama's total. Madison County is home to most of Huntsville (228,416 of its 233,627 residents), most of Madison (53,521 of its 67,968 residents), Triana and Owens Cross Roads. Electrical contractors employ 1,885, up 58.4% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $85,085 a year. Construction employs 8,088, up 27.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 235,169 jobs in 2025, up 14.1% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 67 Alabama counties).
Cities and towns in Madison County
Madison County is home to most of Huntsville (228,416 of its 233,627 residents), most of Madison (53,521 of its 67,968 residents), Triana and Owens Cross Roads.
- Huntsville also extends into Limestone County.
- Madison also extends into Limestone County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Harvest, Hazel Green, Meridianville, Moores Mill, New Market, Redstone Arsenal.
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 Madison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 390,515 | 433,516 | ▲ 11.0% | 2nd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 206,133 | 235,169 | ▲ 14.1% | 6th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $62,193 | $79,511 | ▲ 27.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,325 | 8,088 | ▲ 27.9% | 16th of 41 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,190 | 1,885 | ▲ 58.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 32 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
32 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 433,516 people live here, up 11.0% since 2020, 2nd of 67 Alabama counties by population. Its power plants have 43 MW of capacity, 98% of it solar. City of Huntsville - (AL) is the largest utility serving Madison County. Its residential customers paid an average 11.45¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Who powers Madison County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +32 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Madison County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Huntsville - (AL) | Municipal | Bundled | 197,537 | 11.45¢ | 40% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 42 MW | 98% |
| Battery storage | 1 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAI Huntsville Solar Hybrid | TAI Huntsville Solar, LLC | Solar | 32 MW | 2024 |
| Redstone Arsenal Hybrid | MN8 Energy LLC | Battery storage | 11 MW | 2017 |
The Madison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 235,169 | $79,511 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,088 | $81,747 | 0.65 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,885 | $85,085 | 1.11 |
| Electric utilities | 10 | $170,776 | 0.02 |
| Data processing and hosting | 338 | $177,782 | 0.46 |
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 Madison County
10 data centers in Madison County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Madison County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 433,516 | ▲ 14.1% | 43 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Franklin County TN | 45,579 | ▼ 2.1% | 46 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 54,281 | ▼ 3.1% | 14 MW | 200 MW | 2 | — |
| Limestone County | 122,928 | ▲ 42.6% | 3,869 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County TN | 36,853 | ▼ 2.3% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 103,537 | ▲ 7.9% | 119 MW | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 126,483 | ▲ 9.3% | 1,804 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Madison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Madison County, Alabama?
1 utility has service territory in Madison County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Huntsville - (AL). The largest, City of Huntsville - (AL), charged residential customers 11.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Huntsville, AL in?
Most of Huntsville is in Madison County: 228,416 of its 233,627 residents, or 98%. The rest of the city lies in Limestone County.
What county is Madison, AL in?
Most of Madison is in Madison County: 53,521 of its 67,968 residents, or 79%. The rest of the city lies in Limestone County.
What power plants are in Madison County?
2 operating plants with 43 MW of capacity. The largest is TAI Huntsville Solar Hybrid (32 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Madison County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 10 data centers in Madison County.
Is Madison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 235,169 jobs in 2025 against 206,133 in 2019 (+14.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,325 to 8,088.
Does Madison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Madison County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.