Morgan County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Decatur, Hartselle and Priceville
Morgan County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Morgan County is home to Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity. Construction employs 3,974, up 18.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Madison County has 10 data centers. Its power plants have 1,804 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Alabama. Employers here counted 54,551 jobs in 2025, up 9.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Morgan County
Morgan County is home to Decatur, Hartselle, Priceville and Trinity.
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 Morgan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 123,321 | 126,483 | ▲ 2.6% | 9th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49,920 | 54,551 | ▲ 9.3% | 14th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,424 | $62,536 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,342 | 3,974 | ▲ 18.9% | 23rd of 41 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 498 | 530 | ▲ 6.4% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 399 | 377 | ▼ 5.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.9% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 530, up 6.4% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $71,201 a year. Cullman Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Morgan County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.26¢/kWh in 2024. 126,483 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020, 9th of 67 Alabama counties by population. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Who powers Morgan County
Utilities with service territory in Morgan County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cullman Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 39,779 | 13.26¢ | 22% |
| Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,973 | 14.49¢ | 18% |
| Decatur Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 22,820 | 11.15¢ | 26% |
| City of Hartselle | Municipal | Bundled | 4,629 | 12.14¢ | 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,802 MW | 100% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur Energy Center | Decatur Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 902 MW | 2002 |
| Morgan Energy Center | Morgan Energy Center LLC | Natural gas | 900 MW | 2003 |
| Decatur-Morgan Co LFG Recovery Project | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2010 |
The Morgan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 54,551 | $62,536 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,974 | $82,199 | 1.37 |
| Electrical contractors | 530 | $71,201 | 1.35 |
| Power and communication line construction | 377 | $157,087 | 4.28 |
| Data processing and hosting | 37 | $72,546 | 0.22 |
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 Morgan County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Morgan County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Morgan County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Morgan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan County | 126,483 | ▲ 9.3% | 1,804 MW | — | — | — |
| Cullman County | 94,009 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 33,843 | ▲ 10.3% | 404 MW | 393 MW | — | — |
| Limestone County | 122,928 | ▲ 42.6% | 3,869 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 433,516 | ▲ 14.1% | 43 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Marshall County | 103,537 | ▲ 7.9% | 119 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Morgan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Morgan County, Alabama?
4 utilities have service territory in Morgan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Cullman Electric Coop, Inc, Joe Wheeler Elec Member Corp, Decatur Utilities, City of Hartselle. The largest, Cullman Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 13.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Decatur, AL in?
Decatur is in Morgan County, Alabama. About 57,995 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hartselle, AL in?
Hartselle is in Morgan County, Alabama. About 16,312 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Morgan County?
3 operating plants with 1,804 MW of capacity. The largest is Decatur Energy Center (902 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Morgan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Morgan County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Madison County.
Is Morgan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 54,551 jobs in 2025 against 49,920 in 2019 (+9.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,342 to 3,974.
Does Morgan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Morgan County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.