Polk County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cedartown, Rockmart and Aragon
Polk 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. Construction employs 532, up 70.5% since 2019. Polk County is home to Cedartown, Rockmart and Aragon. Next door, Floyd County has 3 data centers. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Cedartown Battery Energy Storage Project (battery storage, 1 MW, 2022). 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Polk County
Polk County is home to Cedartown, Rockmart and Aragon.
- Braswell also extends into Paulding County.
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 Polk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 42,929 | 45,514 | ▲ 6.0% | 47th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,357 | 11,132 | ▼ 2.0% | 122nd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,872 | $50,672 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 312 | 532 | ▲ 70.5% | 16th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Its power plants have 580 MW of capacity, 98% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 11,132 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Polk County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. 45,514 people live here, up 6.0% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Who powers Polk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Polk 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% |
| Carroll Electric Member Corp - (GA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,299 | 13.38¢ | 12% |
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 | 570 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sewell Creek Energy | Oglethorpe Power Corporation | Natural gas | 570 MW | 2000 |
| Polk County GA S1, LLC | Safari Energy, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2023 |
| Rockmart | Cardinal Renewables | Solar | 3 MW | 2022 |
| Polk Cedartown 2 | Westbound Solar 3, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Polk Cedartown | Westbound Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedartown Battery Energy Storage Project | Battery storage | 1 MW | 2022 |
The Polk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,132 | $50,672 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 532 | $74,940 | 0.90 |
| Power and communication line construction | 38 | $87,198 | 2.11 |
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 Polk County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Polk County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Floyd County, Paulding County.
Polk County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Polk County, Bartow 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 45,514 | ▼ 2.0% | 580 MW | — | — | — |
| Bartow County | 120,800 | ▲ 16.6% | 3,588 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Cherokee County AL | 26,413 | ▲ 4.4% | 88 MW | — | — | — |
| Cleburne County AL | 15,970 | ▲ 38.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 101,378 | ▲ 11.3% | 918 MW | 58 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Haralson County | 33,066 | ▲ 16.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Paulding County | 190,996 | ▲ 22.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Georgia
Polk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Polk County, Georgia?
2 utilities have service territory in Polk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Carroll Electric Member Corp - (GA). The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cedartown, GA in?
Cedartown is in Polk County, Georgia. About 10,514 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Polk County?
5 operating plants with 580 MW of capacity. The largest is Sewell Creek Energy (570 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Polk County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Polk County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Floyd County.
Is Polk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,132 jobs in 2025 against 11,357 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 312 to 532.
Does Polk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Polk County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.