Jefferson County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Louisville, Wrens and Wadley
Jefferson County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Jefferson County is home to Louisville, Wrens and Wadley. Next door, McDuffie County has 1 data center and 250 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 231, down 8.0% since 2019. 260 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Kamin LLC Wrens Plant (natural gas, 6 MW, 2019).
Cities and towns in Jefferson County
Jefferson County is home to Louisville, Wrens and Wadley.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Matthews.
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 Jefferson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,677 | 15,011 | ▼ 4.2% | 109th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,768 | 4,890 | ▲ 2.6% | 101st of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,316 | $51,517 | ▲ 27.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 251 | 231 | ▼ 8.0% | 90th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.0% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 260 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 261 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 4,890 jobs in 2025, up 2.6% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Jefferson 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. 15,011 people live here, down 4.2% since 2020.
Who powers Jefferson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +254 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jefferson 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% |
| Jefferson Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,490 | 13.27¢ | 12% |
| Washington Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,200 | 14.68¢ | 15% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 261 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wadley Solar | Wadley Solar, LLC | Solar | 260 MW | 2025 |
| Georgia Power at Wadley GA | Luminace Solar Georgia, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2014 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kamin LLC Wrens Plant | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2019 |
The Jefferson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,890 | $51,517 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 231 | $55,354 | 0.89 |
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 Jefferson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jefferson County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Richmond County.
Jefferson County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Jefferson County, Burke 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 15,011 | ▲ 2.6% | 261 MW | — | — | — |
| Burke County | 24,408 | ▼ 46.9% | 5,166 MW | 76 MW | — | — |
| Emanuel County | 23,147 | ▲ 9.6% | 3 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Glascock County | 3,141 | ▼ 4.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Johnson County | 9,310 | ▼ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| McDuffie County | 21,640 | ▲ 3.7% | — | 250 MW | 1 | — |
| Richmond County | 206,559 | ▼ 0.5% | 128 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Warren County | 5,269 | ▼ 11.8% | 80 MW | 107 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 19,453 | ▼ 0.4% | 1,645 MW | 50 MW | 1 | — |
More of Georgia
Jefferson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jefferson County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Jefferson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Jefferson Electric Member Corp, Washington Elec Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Jefferson County?
2 operating plants with 261 MW of capacity. The largest is Wadley Solar (260 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Jefferson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jefferson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in McDuffie County.
Is Jefferson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,890 jobs in 2025 against 4,768 in 2019 (+2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 251 to 231.
Does Jefferson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jefferson County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.