Talladega County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Talladega, Sylacauga and Lincoln
New generation is lining up in Talladega County. Talladega County is home to Talladega, Sylacauga, Lincoln and Childersburg. 400 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by DEGA bn, LLC (solar), the 2nd largest pipeline among Alabama's counties. Construction employs 1,030, down 13.5% since 2019. 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including U S Alliance Coosa Pines (natural gas, 12 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 31,617 jobs in 2025, up 5.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Talladega County
Talladega County is home to Talladega, Sylacauga, Lincoln and Childersburg.
- Oxford also extends into Calhoun County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fayetteville, Mignon.
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 Talladega County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 81,390 | 81,603 | ▲ 0.3% | 19th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 30,078 | 31,617 | ▲ 5.1% | 23rd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,737 | $60,802 | ▲ 30.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,191 | 1,030 | ▼ 13.5% | 40th of 41 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 108 | 87 | ▼ 19.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 400 MW | 158% of today's fleet | 2nd of 11 by size |
Its power plants have 253 MW of capacity, 51% of it hydro. Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Talladega 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. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 87, down 19.4% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $60,235 a year. 81,603 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Talladega County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Talladega 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% |
| Central Alabama Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,036 | 16.64¢ | 14% |
| Coosa Valley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,612 | 15.71¢ | 10% |
| Sylacauga Utilities Board | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 128 MW | 51% |
| Natural gas | 99 MW | 39% |
| Other technologies | 26 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Martin Dam | Alabama Power Co | Hydro | 128 MW | 1964 |
| AMEA Peaking | Alabama Municipal Elec Authority - (AL) | Natural gas | 99 MW | 2004 |
| U S Alliance Coosa Pines | Bowater Newport Coosa Pines Op | Other technologies | 26 MW | 2007 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dega Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | DEGA bn, LLC |
| Dega Solar and Storage | Batteries | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | DEGA bn, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| U S Alliance Coosa Pines | Natural gas | 12 MW | 2019 |
The Talladega County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 31,617 | $60,802 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,030 | $64,201 | 0.61 |
| Electrical contractors | 87 | $60,235 | 0.38 |
| Data processing and hosting | 18 | $147,494 | 0.18 |
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 Talladega County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Talladega County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Talladega County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Talladega County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talladega County | 81,603 | ▲ 5.1% | 253 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 115,834 | ▼ 2.4% | 828 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Clay County | 14,207 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Cleburne County | 15,970 | ▲ 38.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Coosa County | 10,161 | ▲ 1.0% | 170 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 238,552 | ▼ 0.1% | 2,034 MW | — | — | — |
| St. Clair County | 98,206 | ▲ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Talladega County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Talladega County, Alabama?
4 utilities have service territory in Talladega County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, Central Alabama Electric Coop, Coosa Valley Electric Coop Inc, Sylacauga Utilities Board. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Talladega, AL in?
Talladega is in Talladega County, Alabama. About 14,840 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Sylacauga, AL in?
Sylacauga is in Talladega County, Alabama. About 12,055 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Talladega County?
3 operating plants with 253 MW of capacity. The largest is Logan Martin Dam (128 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Talladega County?
400 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is DEGA bn, LLC.
Are there data centers in Talladega County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Talladega County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Calhoun County.
Is Talladega County adding jobs?
Employers counted 31,617 jobs in 2025 against 30,078 in 2019 (+5.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,191 to 1,030.
Does Talladega County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Talladega County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.