Lee County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Marianna
Lee County is where a large share of Arkansas's next power plants are planned. Lee County is home to Marianna. 400 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Big Creek Solar LLC (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among Arkansas's counties. 400 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 1,558 jobs in 2025, down 15.7% from 2019. 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 100 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Lee County
Lee County is home to Marianna.
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 Lee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,582 | 8,029 | ▼ 6.4% | 65th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,848 | 1,558 | ▼ 15.7% | 72nd of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,917 | $45,403 | ▲ 30.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 5.2% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 400 MW | 400% of today's fleet | 5th of 14 by size |
Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Lee County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 8,029 people live here, down 6.4% since 2020.
Who powers Lee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lee County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Arkansas LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 608,362 | 12.97¢ | 25% |
| Woodruff Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,125 | 11.40¢ | 34% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 100 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walnut Bend Solar Station PV | Entergy Arkansas LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Creek Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 400 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Big Creek Solar LLC |
The Lee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,558 | $45,403 | 1.00 |
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 Lee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lee County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Lee County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lee County, St. Francis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 8,029 | ▼ 15.7% | 100 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Crittenden County | 46,210 | ▲ 9.5% | 360 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Monroe County | 6,244 | ▼ 14.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Phillips County | 14,255 | ▼ 18.8% | 200 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| St. Francis County | 21,800 | ▼ 7.3% | 203 MW | 455 MW | 1 | — |
| Tunica County MS | 8,819 | ▼ 26.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Lee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lee County, Arkansas?
2 utilities have service territory in Lee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Woodruff Electric Coop Corp. The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lee County?
1 operating plant with 100 MW of capacity. The largest is Walnut Bend Solar Station PV (100 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Lee County?
400 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 400 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Big Creek Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Lee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Francis County.
Is Lee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,558 jobs in 2025 against 1,848 in 2019 (-15.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lee County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.