Hart County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hartwell
Hart County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 381, up 46.0% since 2019. Hart County is home to Hartwell and part of Royston (673 of its 2,693 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers”. Employers here counted 8,261 jobs in 2025, up 24.2% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 159 Georgia counties). Its power plants have 780 MW of capacity, 54% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Hart County
Hart County is home to Hartwell and part of Royston (673 of its 2,693 residents).
- Royston also extends into Franklin County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eagle Grove, Reed Creek.
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 Hart County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,872 | 28,639 | ▲ 10.7% | 69th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,651 | 8,261 | ▲ 24.2% | 8th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,211 | $52,479 | ▲ 41.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 261 | 381 | ▲ 46.0% | 34th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
28,639 people live here, up 10.7% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Hart County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities.
Who powers Hart County
Utilities with service territory in Hart 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% |
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 | 420 MW | 54% |
| Natural gas | 360 MW | 46% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwell Lake | USCE-Savannah District | Hydro | 420 MW | 1962 |
| Hartwell Energy Facility | Oglethorpe Power Corporation | Natural gas | 360 MW | 1994 |
The Hart County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,261 | $52,479 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 381 | $57,218 | 0.87 |
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 Hart County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers | In force | 2026-01 |
Hart County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hart County, Oconee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hart County | 28,639 | ▲ 24.2% | 780 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Anderson County SC | 219,930 | ▲ 9.3% | 2,133 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Elbert County | 20,072 | ▲ 3.6% | 668 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 25,948 | ▲ 3.1% | 61 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Madison County | 32,919 | ▲ 22.3% | 60 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Oconee County SC | 83,775 | ▲ 6.7% | 4,360 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Hart County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hart County, Georgia?
2 utilities have service territory in Hart County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Hart Electric Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hart County?
2 operating plants with 780 MW of capacity. The largest is Hartwell Lake (420 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Hart County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hart County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Anderson County.
Is Hart County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,261 jobs in 2025 against 6,651 in 2019 (+24.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 261 to 381.
Does Hart County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Hart County, 1 in force.