Elbert County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Elberton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Elbert County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Elbert County is home to Elberton and Bowman. Next door, Anderson County, South Carolina, has 1 data center. 40 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 142, up 5.2% since 2019. Its power plants have 668 MW of capacity, 94% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Elbert County
Elbert County is home to Elberton and Bowman.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dewy Rose.
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 Elbert County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,666 | 20,072 | ▲ 2.1% | 93rd of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,739 | 5,943 | ▲ 3.6% | 93rd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,156 | $47,257 | ▲ 30.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 135 | 142 | ▲ 5.2% | 80th of 97 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24 | 18 | ▼ 25.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 40 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 5,943 jobs in 2025, up 3.6% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Elbert County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 20,072 people live here, up 2.1% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 18, down 25.0% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $42,712 a year.
Who powers Elbert County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +40 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Elbert 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% |
| Hart Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,297 | 13.15¢ | 31% |
| City of Elberton | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 628 MW | 94% |
| Solar | 40 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard B Russell | USCE-Savannah District | Hydro | 628 MW | 1985 |
| Sonny Solar LLC | Pine Gate Renewables | Solar | 40 MW | 2023 |
The Elbert County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,943 | $47,257 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 142 | $49,062 | 0.45 |
| Electrical contractors | 18 | $42,712 | 0.42 |
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 Elbert County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Elbert County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 5 neighboring counties have one: Anderson County, Hart County, Lincoln County, Madison County.
Elbert County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Elbert County, Anderson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elbert County | 20,072 | ▲ 3.6% | 668 MW | — | — | — |
| Abbeville County SC | 24,836 | ▲ 0.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Anderson County SC | 219,930 | ▲ 9.3% | 2,133 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Hart County | 28,639 | ▲ 24.2% | 780 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lincoln County | 8,112 | ▲ 15.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Madison County | 32,919 | ▲ 22.3% | 60 MW | — | — | 1 |
| McCormick County SC | 10,215 | ▲ 18.2% | 362 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Oglethorpe County | 16,415 | ▲ 12.6% | 178 MW | — | — | — |
| Wilkes County | 9,540 | ▼ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Elbert County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Elbert County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Elbert County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Hart Electric Member Corp, City of Elberton. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Elbert County?
2 operating plants with 668 MW of capacity. The largest is Richard B Russell (628 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Elbert County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Elbert County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Anderson County.
Is Elbert County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,943 jobs in 2025 against 5,739 in 2019 (+3.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 135 to 142.
Does Elbert County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Elbert County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.