Shelby County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alabaster, Hoover and Pelham
Shelby County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Shelby County is home to Alabaster, part of Hoover (27,804 of its 93,550 residents), Pelham and most of Helena (19,630 of its 23,388 residents). Electrical contractors employ 799, up 59.5% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $71,420 a year. Next door, Jefferson County has 8 data centers. Its power plants have 2,034 MW of capacity, 52% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Alabama. Construction employs 5,528, up 0.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Shelby County
Shelby County is home to Alabaster, part of Hoover (27,804 of its 93,550 residents), Pelham and most of Helena (19,630 of its 23,388 residents).
- Hoover also extends into Jefferson County.
- Helena also extends into Jefferson County.
- Birmingham also extends into Jefferson County.
- Leeds also extends into Jefferson County, St. Clair County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brantleyville, Brook Highland, Dunnavant, Eagle Point, Highland Lakes, Meadowbrook, Pea Ridge, Shelby, Shoal Creek, Sterrett, Vandiver.
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 Shelby County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 223,898 | 238,552 | ▲ 6.5% | 6th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 84,905 | 84,778 | ▼ 0.1% | 41st of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,195 | $69,505 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,520 | 5,528 | ▲ 0.1% | 37th of 41 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 501 | 799 | ▲ 59.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 430 | 400 | ▼ 7.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,442 | 844 | ▼ 41.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 100 | 119 | ▲ 19.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.8% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Shelby 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. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. 238,552 people live here, up 6.5% since 2020, 6th of 67 Alabama counties by population. Employers here counted 84,778 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019.
Who powers Shelby County
Utilities with service territory in Shelby 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% |
| Coosa Valley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,612 | 15.71¢ | 10% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,061 MW | 52% |
| Coal | 952 MW | 47% |
| Petroleum | 21 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E C Gaston | Alabama Power Co | Natural gas | 2,034 MW | 1960 |
The Shelby County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 84,778 | $69,505 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,528 | $79,166 | 1.23 |
| Electrical contractors | 799 | $71,420 | 1.31 |
| Power and communication line construction | 400 | $87,975 | 2.92 |
| Electric utilities | 844 | $204,185 | 3.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 119 | $115,131 | 0.45 |
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 Shelby County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Shelby County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Shelby County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Shelby County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 238,552 | ▼ 0.1% | 2,034 MW | — | — | — |
| Bibb County | 22,262 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Chilton County | 47,708 | ▼ 1.3% | 177 MW | — | — | — |
| Coosa County | 10,161 | ▲ 1.0% | 170 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 665,742 | ▲ 4.1% | 2,826 MW | — | 8 | — |
| St. Clair County | 98,206 | ▲ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Talladega County | 81,603 | ▲ 5.1% | 253 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
More of Alabama
Shelby County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shelby County, Alabama?
2 utilities have service territory in Shelby County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, Coosa Valley Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Alabaster, AL in?
Alabaster is in Shelby County, Alabama. About 34,748 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Is Hoover in Shelby County?
Partly. 27,804 of Hoover's 93,550 residents (30%) live in Shelby County; most of the city is in Jefferson County.
What county is Pelham, AL in?
Pelham is in Shelby County, Alabama. About 25,664 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Shelby County?
1 operating plant with 2,034 MW of capacity. The largest is E C Gaston (2,034 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Shelby County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Shelby County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jefferson County.
Is Shelby County adding jobs?
Employers counted 84,778 jobs in 2025 against 84,905 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,520 to 5,528.
Does Shelby County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Shelby County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.