Early County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Blakely
Early County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Early County. Early County is home to Blakely. Employers here counted 3,540 jobs in 2025, down 15.8% from 2019. 101 MW has retired here since 2019, including Georgia-Pacific Cedar Springs (other technologies, 101 MW, 2025). 192 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Early County
Early County is home to Blakely.
- Arlington also extends into Calhoun County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cedar Springs.
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 Early County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,793 | 10,455 | ▼ 3.1% | 124th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,203 | 3,540 | ▼ 15.8% | 152nd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,116 | $57,653 | ▲ 22.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 4.9% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 192 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 101 MW | — |
Its power plants have 194 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Early 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 4.9% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. 10,455 people live here, down 3.1% since 2020.
Who powers Early County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +91 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Early 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% |
| Mitchell Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,293 | 16.01¢ | 35% |
| Three Notch Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,695 | 16.94¢ | 14% |
| City of Blakely - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 194 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Arlington II | SR Arlington II MT, LLC | Solar | 102 MW | 2019 |
| SR Cedar Springs, LLC | SR Cedar Springs, LLC | Solar | 70 MW | 2022 |
| SR Arlington I | SR Arlington, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2021 |
| Georgia Power at Jakin GA PV | Luminace Solar Georgia 2, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2017 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia-Pacific Cedar Springs | Other technologies | 101 MW | 2025 |
The Early County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,540 | $57,653 | 1.00 |
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 Early County
1 data center in Early County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Early County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Early County, Houston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early County | 10,455 | ▼ 15.8% | 194 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Baker County | 2,725 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 5,413 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 2,815 | ▼ 16.2% | 274 MW | — | — | — |
| Henry County AL | 18,394 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Houston County AL | 110,318 | ▲ 4.6% | 1,785 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Miller County | 5,812 | ▲ 14.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Seminole County | 9,162 | ▼ 2.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Early County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Early County, Georgia?
5 utilities have service territory in Early County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Diverse Power Incorporated, Mitchell Electric Member Corp, Three Notch Elec Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Early County?
4 operating plants with 194 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Arlington II (102 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Early County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Early County.
Is Early County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,540 jobs in 2025 against 4,203 in 2019 (-15.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Early County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Early County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.