Gibson County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Patoka Township, Princeton and Johnson Township
Gibson County hosts some of the generating capacity Indiana runs on. Gibson County is home to Patoka Township, Princeton, Johnson Township and Union Township. Its power plants have 3,540 MW of capacity, 94% of it coal, the largest fleet in Indiana. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Elliot Solar LLC (solar), the 9th largest pipeline among Indiana's counties. 200 MW of it is already under construction or built. Next door, White County, Illinois, has 303 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 373, up 13.7% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Gibson County
Gibson County is home to Patoka Township, Princeton, Johnson Township and Union Township.
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 Gibson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 33,059 | 33,091 | ▲ 0.1% | 52nd of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21,098 | 21,549 | ▲ 2.1% | 37th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,665 | $72,649 | ▲ 37.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 328 | 373 | ▲ 13.7% | 46th of 68 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 397 | 332 | ▼ 16.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.1% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 6% of today's fleet | 9th of 16 by size |
200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 21,549 jobs in 2025, up 2.1% from 2019. Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Gibson County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 33,091 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Gibson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Gibson 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% |
| AES Indiana | Investor Owned | Bundled | 469,499 | 13.75¢ | 14% |
| Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 133,795 | 17.52¢ | 24% |
| Western Indiana Energy REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,017 | 14.39¢ | 19% |
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 | 3,340 MW | 94% |
| Solar | 200 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson | Duke Energy Indiana, LLC | Coal | 3,340 MW | 1975 |
| Gibson Solar | Gibson Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliot Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2029 | Elliot Solar LLC |
The Gibson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,549 | $72,649 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 373 | $67,940 | 0.33 |
| Electric utilities | 332 | $135,766 | 5.69 |
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 Gibson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gibson County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Warrick County.
Gibson County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Gibson County, Pike 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson County | 33,091 | ▲ 2.1% | 3,540 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Edwards County IL | 5,898 | ▼ 27.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 35,652 | ▼ 3.0% | 1,463 MW | — | — | — |
| Pike County | 12,003 | ▼ 2.2% | 2,263 MW | — | — | — |
| Posey County | 24,988 | ▼ 2.5% | 946 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
| Vanderburgh County | 181,995 | ▼ 1.4% | 5 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Wabash County IL | 10,907 | ▼ 1.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Warrick County | 66,803 | ▲ 9.4% | 1,192 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
| White County IL | 13,250 | ▼ 4.0% | 312 MW | 303 MW | — | — |
More of Indiana
Gibson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gibson County, Indiana?
4 utilities have service territory in Gibson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, AES Indiana, Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co, Western Indiana Energy REMC. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Patoka Township, IN in?
Patoka Township is in Gibson County, Indiana. About 11,756 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Gibson County?
2 operating plants with 3,540 MW of capacity. The largest is Gibson (3,340 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Gibson County?
200 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 200 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Elliot Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Gibson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gibson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in White County.
Is Gibson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,549 jobs in 2025 against 21,098 in 2019 (+2.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 328 to 373.
Does Gibson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gibson County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.