Clay County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brazil Township, Brazil and Posey Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Clay County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Clay County is home to Brazil Township, Brazil, Posey Township and Van Buren Township. Construction employs 297, up 34.4% since 2019. Next door, Sullivan County has 964 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 9 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 12, at an average $69,776 a year.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Brazil Township, Brazil, Posey Township and Van Buren Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Coalmont.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 26,426 | 26,410 | ▼ 0.1% | 60th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,767 | 7,742 | ▼ 0.3% | 51st of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,409 | $46,292 | ▲ 30.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 221 | 297 | ▲ 34.4% | 15th of 68 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.3% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Employers here counted 7,742 jobs in 2025, down 0.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 26,410 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Clay County
Utilities with service territory in Clay County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Indiana, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 796,265 | 12.75¢ | 31% |
| South Central Indiana REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,901 | 17.73¢ | 10% |
| Utilities Dist-Western IN REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,898 | 16.10¢ | 13% |
| Western Indiana Energy REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,017 | 14.39¢ | 19% |
| Parke County Rural E M C | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 9 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pastime Farm, LLC | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2015 |
| Staunton | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 4 MW | 2018 |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,742 | $46,292 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 297 | $51,600 | 0.72 |
| Electrical contractors | 12 | $69,776 | 0.21 |
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 Clay County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clay County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Owen County, Putnam County.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clay County, Sullivan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 26,410 | ▼ 0.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 31,165 | ▲ 0.8% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Owen County | 21,886 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Parke County | 16,642 | ▲ 11.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Putnam County | 37,876 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Sullivan County | 20,831 | ▼ 2.2% | 1,548 MW | 964 MW | — | — |
| Vigo County | 106,512 | ▼ 1.8% | 862 MW | — | — | — |
More of Indiana
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Indiana?
5 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, South Central Indiana REMC, Utilities Dist-Western IN REMC, Western Indiana Energy REMC. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clay County?
2 operating plants with 9 MW of capacity. The largest is Pastime Farm, LLC (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sullivan County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,742 jobs in 2025 against 7,767 in 2019 (-0.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 221 to 297.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.