Mitchell County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Camilla and Pelham
Mitchell 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. Mitchell County is home to Camilla, Pelham and Baconton. 261 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Peach WoodSolar LLC (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among Georgia's counties. Construction employs 166, down 20.2% since 2019. 464 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 121 MW has retired here since 2019, including Baconton Power Plant (natural gas, 121 MW, 2023).
Cities and towns in Mitchell County
Mitchell County is home to Camilla, Pelham and Baconton.
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 Mitchell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,676 | 20,467 | ▼ 5.6% | 92nd of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,834 | 6,497 | ▼ 4.9% | 134th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,331 | $47,589 | ▲ 38.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 208 | 166 | ▼ 20.2% | 96th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 464 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 121 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 261 MW | 37% of today's fleet | 6th of 18 by size |
Its power plants have 701 MW of capacity, 63% of it solar. Employers here counted 6,497 jobs in 2025, down 4.9% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 14, at an average $35,884 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Mitchell 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. 20,467 people live here, down 5.6% since 2020.
Who powers Mitchell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +343 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mitchell 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% |
| Mitchell Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,293 | 16.01¢ | 35% |
| Grady Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,283 | 14.84¢ | 16% |
| City of Camilla | — | — | — | — | — |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 440 MW | 63% |
| Natural gas | 221 MW | 31% |
| Battery storage | 40 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hickory Park Solar Hybrid | RWE Clean Energy | Battery storage | 236 MW | 2022 |
| Camilla Solar Energy Project | Invenergy Services LLC | Solar | 171 MW | 2020 |
| Baconton Power Plant | Baconton Power LLC | Natural gas | 121 MW | 2000 |
| Sowega Power | SOWEGA Power LLC | Natural gas | 100 MW | 1999 |
| OE_GA3 | Onward Energy | Solar | 58 MW | 2020 |
| Camilla Solar Plant | Axium US Solar Holdings LLC | Solar | 16 MW | 2013 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peach Wood Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 261 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2030 | Peach WoodSolar LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baconton Power Plant | Natural gas | 121 MW | 2023 |
The Mitchell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,497 | $47,589 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 166 | $56,690 | 0.48 |
| Electrical contractors | 14 | $35,884 | 0.30 |
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 Mitchell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mitchell County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 4 neighboring counties have one: Colquitt County, Decatur County, Dougherty County, Thomas County.
Mitchell County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Mitchell County, Decatur 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County | 20,467 | ▼ 4.9% | 701 MW | 261 MW | — | — |
| Baker County | 2,725 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Colquitt County | 47,438 | ▲ 6.2% | 21 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Decatur County | 29,432 | ▼ 1.9% | 637 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dougherty County | 82,616 | ▼ 6.4% | 223 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Grady County | 26,590 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Thomas County | 46,368 | ▲ 5.1% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Worth County | 20,059 | ▼ 1.6% | 40 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Mitchell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mitchell County, Georgia?
4 utilities have service territory in Mitchell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Mitchell Electric Member Corp, Grady Electric Membership Corp, City of Camilla. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mitchell County?
6 operating plants with 701 MW of capacity. The largest is Hickory Park Solar Hybrid (236 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Mitchell County?
261 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Peach WoodSolar LLC.
Are there data centers in Mitchell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mitchell County.
Is Mitchell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,497 jobs in 2025 against 6,834 in 2019 (-4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 208 to 166.
Does Mitchell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mitchell County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.