Heard County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Glenn
Heard County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Construction employs 223, up 57.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1,957 MW has retired here since 2019, including Wansley (coal, 1,904 MW, 2022). Heard County is home to Franklin. Its power plants have 3,967 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 2nd largest fleet in Georgia. Next door, Coweta County has 6 data centers and 1,448 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Heard County
Heard County is home to Franklin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Glenn.
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 Heard County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,445 | 12,149 | ▲ 6.2% | 115th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,003 | 2,174 | ▲ 8.5% | 63rd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,550 | $61,457 | ▲ 24.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 142 | 223 | ▲ 57.0% | 20th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1,957 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,174 jobs in 2025, up 8.5% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Heard County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. 12,149 people live here, up 6.2% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Who powers Heard County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1,957 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Heard 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% |
| Coweta-Fayette El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 83,001 | 12.80¢ | 18% |
| Carroll Electric Member Corp - (GA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,299 | 13.38¢ | 12% |
| Diverse Power Incorporated | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,998 | 16.75¢ | 19% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 3,967 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wansley Combined Cycle | Southern Power Co | Natural gas | 1,239 MW | 2002 |
| Tenaska Georgia Generation Facility | Tenaska Georgia Partners LP | Natural gas | 1,099 MW | 2001 |
| Wansley Unit 9 | Municipal Electric Authority - (GA) | Natural gas | 594 MW | 2004 |
| Chattahoochee Energy Facility | Oglethorpe Power Corporation | Natural gas | 540 MW | 2003 |
| Hawk Road Facility | Oglethorpe Power Corporation | Natural gas | 495 MW | 2001 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wansley | Coal | 1,904 MW | 2022 |
| Wansley | Petroleum | 53 MW | 2022 |
The Heard County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,174 | $61,457 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 223 | $75,144 | 1.94 |
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 Heard County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Heard County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Carroll County, Coweta County.
Heard County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Heard County, Coweta 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heard County | 12,149 | ▲ 8.5% | 3,967 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 131,036 | ▲ 10.2% | — | — | 3 | 1 |
| Coweta County | 160,240 | ▲ 21.8% | 807 MW | 1,448 MW | 6 | 1 |
| Randolph County AL | 23,163 | ▲ 2.6% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Troup County | 72,844 | ▲ 5.9% | 77 MW | — | 6 | — |
More of Georgia
Heard County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Heard County, Georgia?
4 utilities have service territory in Heard County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Coweta-Fayette El Member Corp, Carroll Electric Member Corp - (GA), Diverse Power Incorporated. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Heard County?
5 operating plants with 3,967 MW of capacity. The largest is Wansley Combined Cycle (1,239 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Heard County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Heard County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Coweta County.
Is Heard County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,174 jobs in 2025 against 2,003 in 2019 (+8.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 142 to 223.
Does Heard County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Heard County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.