Pike County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Washington Township, Patoka Township and Petersburg
Pike County hosts some of the generating capacity Indiana runs on. Construction employs 343, up 1170.4% since 2019, and construction is 2.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Pike County is home to Washington Township, Patoka Township, Petersburg and Jefferson Township. 805 MW has retired here since 2019, including AES Petersburg (coal, 805 MW, 2023). 910 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 2,263 MW of capacity, 59% of it coal, the 3rd largest fleet in Indiana.
Cities and towns in Pike County
Pike County is home to Washington Township, Patoka Township, Petersburg and Jefferson Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Otwell.
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 Pike County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,246 | 12,003 | ▼ 2.0% | 84th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,759 | 2,699 | ▼ 2.2% | 63rd of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,243 | $65,989 | ▲ 34.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27 | 343 | ▲ 1170.4% | 1st of 68 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.5% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 910 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 805 MW | — |
Next door, Dubois County has 200 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 2,699 jobs in 2025, down 2.2% from 2019. Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Pike 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. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 12,003 people live here, down 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Pike County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +105 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Pike 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% |
| Dubois Rural Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,419 | 14.38¢ | 7% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,342 MW | 59% |
| Solar | 460 MW | 20% |
| Battery storage | 450 MW | 20% |
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 0% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AES Petersburg | AES Indiana | Petroleum | 1,350 MW | 1967 |
| Petersburg Energy Center | Petersburg Energy Center, LLC | Battery storage | 500 MW | 2026 |
| Pike County Energy Storage | AES Pike County Energy Storage | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2025 |
| RATTS 1 | Ratts 1 Solar LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Heirloom Solar | Heirloom Solar (Ratts 1 Phase 2 Solar, LLC) | Solar | 60 MW | 2025 |
| Veolia ES Blackfoot Landfill Facility | Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2009 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AES Petersburg | Coal | 805 MW | 2023 |
The Pike County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,699 | $65,989 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 343 | $99,195 | 2.40 |
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 Pike County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pike County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Warrick County.
Pike County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Pike County, Gibson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pike County | 12,003 | ▼ 2.2% | 2,263 MW | — | — | — |
| Daviess County | 34,209 | ▲ 8.5% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Dubois County | 44,016 | ▼ 3.7% | 2 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Gibson County | 33,091 | ▲ 2.1% | 3,540 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Knox County | 35,652 | ▼ 3.0% | 1,463 MW | — | — | — |
| Warrick County | 66,803 | ▲ 9.4% | 1,192 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
More of Indiana
Pike County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pike County, Indiana?
5 utilities have service territory in Pike 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 power plants are in Pike County?
6 operating plants with 2,263 MW of capacity. The largest is AES Petersburg (1,350 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Pike County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pike County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dubois County.
Is Pike County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,699 jobs in 2025 against 2,759 in 2019 (-2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 27 to 343.
Does Pike County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pike County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.