Mississippi County, Arkansas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Blytheville, Osceola and Manila
New generation is lining up in Mississippi County. 2,250 MW of new generation is planned here across 6 units, led by Cypress Creek Renewables (solar), the largest pipeline among Arkansas's counties. 2,250 MW of it is already under construction or built. Mississippi County is home to Blytheville, Osceola, Manila and Gosnell. Its power plants have 1,927 MW of capacity, 37% of it coal, the 5th largest fleet in Arkansas. 526 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 19,773 jobs in 2025, up 11.0% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 75 Arkansas counties).
Cities and towns in Mississippi County
Mississippi County is home to Blytheville, Osceola, Manila and Gosnell.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Armorel.
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 Mississippi County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,535 | 37,828 | ▼ 6.7% | 20th of 75 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,814 | 19,773 | ▲ 11.0% | 9th of 75 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,669 | $77,201 | ▲ 46.6% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 65 | 73 | ▲ 12.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.6% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 526 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2,250 MW | 117% of today's fleet | 1st of 14 by size |
Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.6% in 2019. Entergy Arkansas LLC is the largest utility serving Mississippi County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.97¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.11¢ median for Arkansas utilities. 37,828 people live here, down 6.7% since 2020.
Who powers Mississippi County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +526 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mississippi 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% |
| Mississippi County Electric Co | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,232 | 8.48¢ | 0% |
| City of Osceola - (AR) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 720 MW | 37% |
| Natural gas | 679 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 526 MW | 27% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plum Point Energy Station | NRG Energy Services - Plum Point | Coal | 720 MW | 2010 |
| Dell Power Station | Associated Electric Coop, Inc | Natural gas | 679 MW | 2007 |
| Forgeview Solar | Forgeview Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Crooked Lake Solar, LLC | Crooked Lake Solar, LLC | Solar | 175 MW | 2024 |
| Driver Solar | Entergy Arkansas LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2024 |
| Osceola (AR) | City of Osceola - (AR) | Petroleum | 2 MW | 1992 |
Planned generation 6
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel River Solar Phase 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 500 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Steel River Solar Phase 2 | Solar Photovoltaic | 500 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2029 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Steel River Solar Phase 3 | Solar Photovoltaic | 500 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2030 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Steel River Solar Phase 1 | Batteries | 250 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Steel River Solar Phase 2 | Batteries | 250 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2029 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
| Steel River Solar Phase 3 | Batteries | 250 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2030 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
The Mississippi County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,773 | $77,201 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 73 | $114,589 | 1.36 |
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 Mississippi County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mississippi County. Arkansas has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Mississippi County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi County | 37,828 | ▲ 11.0% | 1,927 MW | 2,250 MW | — | — |
| Craighead County | 116,957 | ▲ 6.4% | 236 MW | — | — | — |
| Crittenden County | 46,210 | ▲ 9.5% | 360 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dunklin County MO | 26,855 | ▲ 1.8% | 559 MW | — | — | — |
| Dyer County TN | 36,320 | ▲ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Lauderdale County TN | 24,617 | ▼ 6.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Pemiscot County MO | 14,465 | ▼ 13.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Poinsett County | 22,483 | ▲ 2.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County TN | 910,226 | ▼ 6.3% | 1,571 MW | 16 MW | 16 | — |
| Tipton County TN | 62,287 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Arkansas
Mississippi County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mississippi County, Arkansas?
3 utilities have service territory in Mississippi County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Arkansas LLC, Mississippi County Electric Co, City of Osceola - (AR). The largest, Entergy Arkansas LLC, charged residential customers 12.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Blytheville, AR in?
Blytheville is in Mississippi County, Arkansas. About 12,227 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Mississippi County?
7 operating plants with 1,927 MW of capacity. The largest is Plum Point Energy Station (720 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Mississippi County?
2,250 MW across 6 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2,250 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cypress Creek Renewables.
Are there data centers in Mississippi County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mississippi County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shelby County.
Is Mississippi County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,773 jobs in 2025 against 17,814 in 2019 (+11.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Mississippi County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mississippi County. Arkansas has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.