# Wayne County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Home to Jesup

Wayne County is where a large share of Georgia's next power plants are planned. 2,500 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by BrightNight Power (solar), the largest pipeline among Georgia's counties. Wayne County is home to Jesup, Screven and Odum. Employers here counted 9,050 jobs in 2025, up 10.8% from 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.

2,500 MW
of new generation planned here, solar leading

+10.8%
total jobs since 2019, now 9,050

72 MW
of operating power plants, mostly other technologies

## Cities and towns in Wayne County

Wayne County is home to Jesup, Screven and Odum.

Jesup10,301 residents
Screven836 residents
Odum504 residents

Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Gardi.

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 Wayne County

| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,145 | 32,481 | ▲ 7.7% | 62nd of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,170 | 9,050 | ▲ 10.8% | 53rd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,359 | $52,520 | ▲ 24.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW |  | — |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW |  | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2,500 MW | 3467% of today's fleet | 1st of 18 by size |

Its power plants have 72 MW of capacity, 96% of it other technologies. Electrical contractors employ 245, at an average $66,685 a year. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Wayne 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. 32,481 people live here, up 7.7% since 2020.

## Who powers Wayne County

### Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| Satilla Rural Elec Member Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 54,115 | 13.99¢ | 11% |
| Okefenoke Rural El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 27,736 | 14.24¢ | 9% |

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 

| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 70 MW | 96% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 4% |

| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jesup Plant | Rayonier Advanced Materials | Other technologies | 70 MW | 1954 |
| Westberry Jesup | Westbound Solar LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |

### Planned generation 

| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pepper Hammock Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 1,200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | BrightNight Power |
| Pepper Hammock Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 900 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | BrightNight Power |
| Pepper Hammock Solar and Storage | Batteries | 400 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | BrightNight Power |

## The Wayne County labor market

| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,050 | $52,520 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 245 | $66,685 | 3.75 |

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 Wayne County

No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide.

## Wayne County and its neighbors

Of the 7 counties that border Wayne County, Appling 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 32,481 | ▲ 10.8% | 72 MW | 2,500 MW | — | — |
| Appling County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/appling-county) | 19,100 | ▲ 10.9% | 1,873 MW | — | — | — |
| Brantley County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/brantley-county) | 18,936 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Glynn County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/glynn-county) | 87,599 | ▲ 11.5% | 650 MW | — | — | — |
| Long County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/long-county) | 21,557 | ▲ 33.6% | — | — | — | — |
| McIntosh County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/mcintosh-county) | 11,989 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Pierce County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/pierce-county) | 20,764 | ▲ 11.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Tattnall County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/tattnall-county) | 24,376 | ▼ 3.4% | 4 MW | — | — | — |

## More of Georgia

[All Georgia countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia)[Glynn County87,599 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/glynn-county)[Tattnall County24,376 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/tattnall-county)[Long County21,557 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/long-county)[Pierce County20,764 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/pierce-county)[Appling County19,100 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/appling-county)

## Wayne County, answered from the record

### Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Georgia?

3 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Satilla Rural Elec Member Corporation, Okefenoke Rural El Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.

### What county is Jesup, GA in?

Jesup is in Wayne County, Georgia. About 10,301 people live there (2025 Census estimate).

### What power plants are in Wayne County?

2 operating plants with 72 MW of capacity. The largest is Jesup Plant (70 MW, other technologies).

### How much new power is planned in Wayne County?

2,500 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is BrightNight Power.

### Are there data centers in Wayne County?

The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Brantley County.

### Is Wayne County adding jobs?

Employers counted 9,050 jobs in 2025 against 8,170 in 2019 (+10.8%, BLS QCEW).

### Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?

No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/georgia/wayne-county
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).