Chatham County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Savannah, Pooler and Port Wentworth
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Chatham County. Chatham County is home to Savannah, Pooler, Port Wentworth and Garden City. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “155-day moratorium on data centers of 10 MW or more”. Construction employs 7,637, up 18.4% since 2019. 98 MW has retired here since 2019, including International Paper Savanna Mill (other technologies, 83 MW, 2025). Employers here counted 172,740 jobs in 2025, up 8.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Chatham County
Chatham County is home to Savannah, Pooler, Port Wentworth and Garden City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dutch Island, Georgetown, Henderson, Isle of Hope, Montgomery, Skidaway Island, Talahi Island, Whitemarsh Island, Wilmington Island.
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 Chatham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 295,113 | 311,855 | ▲ 5.7% | 5th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 158,858 | 172,740 | ▲ 8.7% | 60th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,290 | $64,451 | ▲ 33.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,452 | 7,637 | ▲ 18.4% | 66th of 97 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,003 | 903 | ▼ 10.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.0% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 98 MW | — |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 166 MW of capacity, 50% of it natural gas. Canoochee Electric Member Corp is the largest utility serving Chatham County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.98¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 311,855 people live here, up 5.7% since 2020, 5th of 159 Georgia counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 903, down 10.0% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $67,249 a year.
Who powers Chatham County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −95 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Chatham County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canoochee Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,180 | 13.98¢ | 20% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 83 MW | 50% |
| Other technologies | 79 MW | 47% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Wentworth Mill | GFC - Wentworth Mill | Other technologies | 72 MW | 1991 |
| International Paper Savanna Mill | International Paper Co | Natural gas | 71 MW | 1981 |
| Imperial Savannah LP | US Sugar Savannah Refinery, LLC | Natural gas | 12 MW | 1946 |
| Superior Landfill Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2009 |
| IKEA Savannah 490 | IKEA Property Inc | Solar | 2 MW | 2012 |
| Prologis Portside 2509 - SLSAV502 | Prologis Logistics Services Incorporated | Solar | 2 MW | 2026 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Paper Savanna Mill | Other technologies | 83 MW | 2025 |
| Boulevard | Petroleum | 16 MW | 2022 |
The Chatham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 172,740 | $64,451 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,637 | $76,992 | 0.83 |
| Electrical contractors | 903 | $67,249 | 0.72 |
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 Chatham County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155-day moratorium on data centers of 10 MW or more | In force | 2026-09 |
Chatham County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Chatham County, Effingham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chatham County | 311,855 | ▲ 8.7% | 166 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bryan County | 52,062 | ▲ 47.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Effingham County | 74,397 | ▲ 34.9% | 2,956 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Jasper County SC | 38,533 | ▲ 12.6% | 1,158 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Georgia
Chatham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Chatham County, Georgia?
1 utility has service territory in Chatham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Canoochee Electric Member Corp. The largest, Canoochee Electric Member Corp, charged residential customers 13.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Savannah, GA in?
Savannah is in Chatham County, Georgia. About 149,440 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Pooler, GA in?
Pooler is in Chatham County, Georgia. About 32,744 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Port Wentworth, GA in?
Port Wentworth is in Chatham County, Georgia. About 17,604 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Chatham County?
6 operating plants with 166 MW of capacity. The largest is Port Wentworth Mill (72 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Chatham County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Chatham County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Effingham County.
Is Chatham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 172,740 jobs in 2025 against 158,858 in 2019 (+8.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,452 to 7,637.
Does Chatham County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Chatham County, 1 in force.