Clarke County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Athens and Winterville
Clarke County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Clarke County. Clarke County and the city of Athens share the same boundaries; Winterville, Bogart also lie inside it. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers until a condition is met”. Employers here counted 73,999 jobs in 2025, up 5.0% from 2019. Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 54% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Clarke County
Clarke County and the city of Athens share the same boundaries; Winterville, Bogart also lie inside it.
- Bogart also extends into Oconee County.
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 Clarke County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 128,595 | 129,921 | ▲ 1.0% | 20th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 70,493 | 73,999 | ▲ 5.0% | 85th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,532 | $59,548 | ▲ 25.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Clarke County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 129,921 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Clarke County
Utilities with service territory in Clarke County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,452,488 | 15.49¢ | 39% |
| Jackson Electric Member Corp - (GA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 239,558 | 11.38¢ | 28% |
| Walton Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 131,915 | 12.99¢ | 47% |
| Rayle Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,369 | 14.42¢ | 22% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 54% |
| Hydro | 2 MW | 27% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 19% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens Regional Medical Center | Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1994 |
| Tallassee Hydro Project | Tallassee Shoals LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1986 |
| CII Methane Management III LFG Plant | Frontier Operation Services | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2014 |
The Clarke County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 73,999 | $59,548 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 44 | $98,671 | 0.19 |
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 Clarke County
1 data center in Clarke County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers until a condition is met | In force | 2026-03 |
Clarke County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Clarke County, Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarke County | 129,921 | ▲ 5.0% | 8 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Barrow County | 99,773 | ▲ 23.1% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 99,265 | ▲ 51.4% | 919 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Madison County | 32,919 | ▲ 22.3% | 60 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Oconee County | 44,893 | ▲ 26.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Oglethorpe County | 16,415 | ▲ 12.6% | 178 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Clarke County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clarke County, Georgia?
4 utilities have service territory in Clarke County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Jackson Electric Member Corp - (GA), Walton Electric Member Corp, Rayle Electric Membership Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Athens, GA in?
Athens is in Clarke County, Georgia. About 128,612 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Clarke County?
3 operating plants with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Athens Regional Medical Center (5 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Clarke County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Clarke County.
Is Clarke County adding jobs?
Employers counted 73,999 jobs in 2025 against 70,493 in 2019 (+5.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Clarke County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Clarke County, 1 in force.