Decatur County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bainbridge
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Decatur County. Construction employs 385, up 55.9% since 2019. Decatur County is home to Bainbridge. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers”. 457 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 637 MW of capacity, 81% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Decatur County
Decatur County is home to Bainbridge.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Faceville.
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 Decatur County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,436 | 29,432 | ● 0.0% | 66th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,802 | 8,635 | ▼ 1.9% | 120th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,098 | $46,727 | ▲ 33.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 247 | 385 | ▲ 55.9% | 22nd of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 457 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 8,635 jobs in 2025, down 1.9% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Decatur County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. 29,432 people live here, down 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Decatur County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +457 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Decatur 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% |
| Mitchell Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,293 | 16.01¢ | 35% |
| Grady Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,283 | 14.84¢ | 16% |
| Three Notch Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,695 | 16.94¢ | 14% |
| Town of Brinson - (GA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 517 MW | 81% |
| Petroleum | 80 MW | 13% |
| Battery storage | 40 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cool Springs Solar (Hybrid) | Cool Springs Solar, LLC | Solar | 253 MW | 2021 |
| Decatur Solar | Washington County Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2024 |
| Decatur Parkway Solar Project, LLC | Southern Power Co | Solar | 80 MW | 2015 |
| Walton Bainbridge Power Facility | Walton Bainbridge LLC | Petroleum | 80 MW | 2000 |
| Decatur County Solar Project | Southern Power Co | Solar | 20 MW | 2015 |
| BE Solar LLC | Cardinal Renewables | Solar | 3 MW | 2022 |
The Decatur County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,635 | $46,727 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 385 | $55,840 | 0.84 |
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 Decatur County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers | In force | 2026-04 |
Decatur County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Decatur County, Mitchell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decatur County | 29,432 | ▼ 1.9% | 637 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Baker County | 2,725 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Gadsden County FL | 44,298 | ▲ 3.4% | 196 MW | — | — | — |
| Grady County | 26,590 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County FL | 49,629 | ▼ 0.6% | 228 MW | 75 MW | — | 2 |
| Miller County | 5,812 | ▲ 14.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 20,467 | ▼ 4.9% | 701 MW | 261 MW | — | — |
| Seminole County | 9,162 | ▼ 2.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Decatur County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Decatur County, Georgia?
5 utilities have service territory in Decatur County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Mitchell Electric Member Corp, Grady Electric Membership Corp, Three Notch Elec Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bainbridge, GA in?
Bainbridge is in Decatur County, Georgia. About 14,606 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Decatur County?
7 operating plants with 637 MW of capacity. The largest is Cool Springs Solar (Hybrid) (253 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Decatur County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Decatur County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mitchell County.
Is Decatur County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,635 jobs in 2025 against 8,802 in 2019 (-1.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 247 to 385.
Does Decatur County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Decatur County, 1 in force.