Dougherty County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Albany
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Dougherty County. Dougherty County is home to Albany. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Data center moratorium, extended”. Construction employs 1,526, down 12.1% since 2019. 122 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 44,899 jobs in 2025, down 6.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Dougherty County
Dougherty County is home to Albany.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Putney.
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 Dougherty County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 85,173 | 82,616 | ▼ 3.0% | 33rd of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 47,982 | 44,899 | ▼ 6.4% | 137th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,037 | $56,821 | ▲ 32.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,736 | 1,526 | ▼ 12.1% | 92nd of 97 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 522 | 308 | ▼ 41.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 4.8% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 122 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 223 MW of capacity, 68% of it solar. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Dougherty 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. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. 82,616 people live here, down 3.0% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 308, down 41.0% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $77,815 a year.
Who powers Dougherty County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +122 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dougherty 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% |
| Diverse Power Incorporated | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,998 | 16.75¢ | 19% |
| Albany Utility Board | Municipal | Bundled | 29,517 | 12.87¢ | 59% |
| Mitchell Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,293 | 16.01¢ | 35% |
| Sumter Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,049 | 14.14¢ | 29% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 151 MW | 68% |
| Other technologies | 67 MW | 30% |
| Hydro | 5 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dougherty County Solar, LLC | Dougherty County Solar, LLC | Solar | 120 MW | 2019 |
| Albany Green Energy | Albany Green Energy, LLC | Other technologies | 54 MW | 2017 |
| Marine Corps Logistics Base Solar | Georgia Power Co | Solar | 31 MW | 2018 |
| MCLB Biosteam to Energy | Inst and Envir Div Marine Logistics Base | Other technologies | 8 MW | 2001 |
| Flint River | Georgia Power Co | Hydro | 5 MW | 1921 |
| MCLB Landfill Gas to Energy | Inst and Envir Div Marine Logistics Base | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2011 |
The Dougherty County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 44,899 | $56,821 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,526 | $73,747 | 0.64 |
| Electrical contractors | 308 | $77,815 | 0.95 |
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 Dougherty County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data center moratorium, extended | In force | 2026-08 |
Dougherty County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dougherty 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dougherty County | 82,616 | ▼ 6.4% | 223 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Baker County | 2,725 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 5,413 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Lee County | 34,179 | ▲ 12.9% | 290 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Mitchell County | 20,467 | ▼ 4.9% | 701 MW | 261 MW | — | — |
| Terrell County | 8,656 | ▲ 0.3% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Worth County | 20,059 | ▼ 1.6% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Dougherty County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dougherty County, Georgia?
5 utilities have service territory in Dougherty County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Diverse Power Incorporated, Albany Utility Board, Mitchell Electric Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Albany, GA in?
Albany is in Dougherty County, Georgia. About 66,907 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dougherty County?
6 operating plants with 223 MW of capacity. The largest is Dougherty County Solar, LLC (120 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Dougherty County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dougherty County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mitchell County.
Is Dougherty County adding jobs?
Employers counted 44,899 jobs in 2025 against 47,982 in 2019 (-6.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,736 to 1,526.
Does Dougherty County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Dougherty County, 1 in force.