Monroe County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Forsyth
Monroe County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Monroe County. Monroe County is home to Forsyth. Construction employs 633, up 36.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Bolingbroke data center rezoning denied”. 804 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Oglethorpe Power Corporation (natural gas), the 3rd largest pipeline among Georgia's counties.
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Forsyth.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bolingbroke, Juliette, Smarr.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,065 | 32,023 | ▲ 14.1% | 63rd of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,855 | 8,368 | ▲ 6.5% | 70th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,897 | $56,980 | ▲ 36.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 465 | 633 | ▲ 36.1% | 43rd of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 891 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 804 MW | 28% of today's fleet | 3rd of 18 by size |
891 MW has retired here since 2019, including Scherer (coal, 891 MW, 2022). Its power plants have 2,915 MW of capacity, 92% of it coal, the 5th largest fleet in Georgia. Employers here counted 8,368 jobs in 2025, up 6.5% from 2019. 32,023 people live here, up 14.1% since 2020. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Who powers Monroe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −891 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| Flint Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 83,739 | 13.57¢ | 26% |
| Central Georgia El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 61,155 | 12.24¢ | 14% |
| Southern Rivers Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,411 | 16.41¢ | 11% |
| City of Forsyth - (GA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,673 MW | 92% |
| Natural gas | 242 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scherer | Georgia Power Co | Coal | 2,673 MW | 1982 |
| Smarr Energy Center | Oglethorpe Power Corporation | Natural gas | 242 MW | 1999 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smarr Combined Cycle Energy Facility | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 459 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Oglethorpe Power Corporation |
| Smarr Combined Cycle Energy Facility | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 345 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Oglethorpe Power Corporation |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scherer | Coal | 891 MW | 2022 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,368 | $56,980 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 633 | $60,930 | 1.43 |
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 Monroe County
2 data centers in Monroe County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolingbroke data center rezoning denied | In force | 2025-08 |
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Monroe County, Upson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 32,023 | ▲ 6.5% | 2,915 MW | 804 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Bibb County | 157,556 | ▼ 3.4% | 328 MW | — | — | — |
| Butts County | 27,218 | ▲ 19.3% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Crawford County | 12,206 | ▲ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 17,632 | ▲ 6.0% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Jones County | 29,171 | ▲ 1.4% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Lamar County | 20,941 | ▲ 22.4% | 60 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Upson County | 28,500 | ▲ 7.9% | 705 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Georgia
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Georgia?
5 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Flint Electric Membership Corp, Central Georgia El Member Corp, Southern Rivers Energy. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Monroe County?
2 operating plants with 2,915 MW of capacity. The largest is Scherer (2,673 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Monroe County?
804 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Oglethorpe Power Corporation.
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Monroe County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,368 jobs in 2025 against 7,855 in 2019 (+6.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 465 to 633.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Monroe County, 1 in force.