Laurens County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dublin and East Dublin
Laurens County is where a large share of Georgia's next power plants are planned. Laurens County is home to Dublin, East Dublin, Dexter and Dudley. 150 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Laurens Solar I, LLC (solar), the 10th largest pipeline among Georgia's counties. Construction employs 872, up 10.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 20,291 jobs in 2025, up 8.6% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Laurens County
Laurens County is home to Dublin, East Dublin, Dexter and Dudley.
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 Laurens County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 49,543 | 51,041 | ▲ 3.0% | 43rd of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,692 | 20,291 | ▲ 8.6% | 62nd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,517 | $54,130 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 793 | 872 | ▲ 10.0% | 74th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 3.7% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 150 MW | 174% of today's fleet | 10th of 18 by size |
Its power plants have 86 MW of capacity, 52% of it other technologies. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Laurens County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. 51,041 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Laurens County
Utilities with service territory in Laurens 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% |
| Altamaha Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,628 | 16.04¢ | 58% |
| Washington Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,200 | 14.68¢ | 15% |
| Oconee Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,743 | 15.71¢ | 15% |
| Ocmulgee Electric Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Little Ocmulgee El Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 45 MW | 52% |
| Natural gas | 37 MW | 43% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WestRock Southeast, LLC. | WestRock Southeast, LLC | Other technologies | 82 MW | 1989 |
| Dublin Solar I | AES Distributed Energy | Solar | 4 MW | 2015 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Laurens Solar I, LLC |
The Laurens County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,291 | $54,130 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 872 | $63,556 | 0.81 |
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 Laurens County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Laurens County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide.
Laurens County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Laurens County, Emanuel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurens County | 51,041 | ▲ 8.6% | 86 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Bleckley County | 12,866 | ▲ 23.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Dodge County | 19,663 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Emanuel County | 23,147 | ▲ 9.6% | 3 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Johnson County | 9,310 | ▼ 8.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Treutlen County | 6,466 | ▲ 6.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Twiggs County | 7,597 | ▼ 41.7% | 227 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wheeler County | 7,570 | ▼ 3.5% | — | 80 MW | — | — |
| Wilkinson County | 8,650 | ▼ 23.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Laurens County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Laurens County, Georgia?
6 utilities have service territory in Laurens County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Altamaha Electric Member Corp, Washington Elec Member Corp, Oconee Electric Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dublin, GA in?
Dublin is in Laurens County, Georgia. About 16,565 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Laurens County?
2 operating plants with 86 MW of capacity. The largest is WestRock Southeast, LLC. (82 MW, other technologies).
How much new power is planned in Laurens County?
150 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Laurens Solar I, LLC.
Are there data centers in Laurens County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Laurens County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Twiggs County.
Is Laurens County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,291 jobs in 2025 against 18,692 in 2019 (+8.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 793 to 872.
Does Laurens County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Laurens County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.