Terrell County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dawson
Terrell 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. Terrell County is home to Dawson. 78 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019. Its power plants have 78 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Terrell 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.
Cities and towns in Terrell County
Terrell County is home to Dawson.
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 Terrell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,139 | 8,656 | ▼ 5.3% | 134th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,094 | 2,100 | ▲ 0.3% | 106th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,197 | $46,542 | ▲ 36.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 53 | 80 | ▲ 50.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 4.8% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 78 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,100 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019. 8,656 people live here, down 5.3% since 2020.
Who powers Terrell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +78 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Terrell 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% |
| Diverse Power Incorporated | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,998 | 16.75¢ | 19% |
| Sumter Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,049 | 14.14¢ | 29% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 78 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Terrell | SR Terrell, LLC | Solar | 74 MW | 2020 |
| McCleskey Cotton | Westbound Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
| Terrell Riles Stovall | Safari Energy, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Terrell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,100 | $46,542 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 80 | $61,028 | 0.72 |
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 Terrell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Terrell County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Dougherty County, Lee County.
Terrell County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Terrell County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrell County | 8,656 | ▲ 0.3% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 5,413 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Dougherty County | 82,616 | ▼ 6.4% | 223 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lee County | 34,179 | ▲ 12.9% | 290 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Randolph County | 6,156 | ▼ 14.5% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Sumter County | 28,801 | ▼ 12.0% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 2,369 | ▼ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Terrell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Terrell County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Terrell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Diverse Power Incorporated, Sumter Electric Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Terrell County?
3 operating plants with 78 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Terrell (74 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Terrell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Terrell County.
Is Terrell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,100 jobs in 2025 against 2,094 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 53 to 80.
Does Terrell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Terrell County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.