Putnam County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Greencastle Township, Greencastle and Floyd Township
Putnam County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Putnam County is home to Greencastle Township, Greencastle, Floyd Township and Cloverdale Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through November 17, 2026”. Construction employs 583, up 5.0% since 2019. Employers here counted 12,562 jobs in 2025, down 7.1% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 56, at an average $57,701 a year.
Cities and towns in Putnam County
Putnam County is home to Greencastle Township, Greencastle, Floyd Township and Cloverdale Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Heritage Lake, Van Bibber Lake.
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 Putnam County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,696 | 37,876 | ▲ 3.2% | 40th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,529 | 12,562 | ▼ 7.1% | 82nd of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,091 | $52,996 | ▲ 39.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 555 | 583 | ▲ 5.0% | 57th of 68 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Putnam County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 37,876 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Putnam County
Utilities with service territory in Putnam 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% |
| Hendricks County Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 37,638 | 13.84¢ | 33% |
| South Central Indiana REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,901 | 17.73¢ | 10% |
| Utilities Dist-Western IN REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,898 | 16.10¢ | 13% |
| Town of Bainbridge - (IN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Putnam County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Putnam County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,562 | $52,996 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 583 | $65,631 | 0.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 56 | $57,701 | 0.62 |
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 Putnam County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through November 17, 2026 | In force | 2025-11 |
Putnam County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Putnam County, Morgan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | 37,876 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 26,410 | ▼ 0.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Hendricks County | 193,510 | ▲ 10.5% | 23 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Montgomery County | 38,954 | ▲ 5.9% | 28 MW | 16 MW | — | — |
| Morgan County | 74,967 | ▼ 0.1% | 644 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Owen County | 21,886 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Parke County | 16,642 | ▲ 11.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Indiana
Putnam County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Putnam County, Indiana?
7 utilities have service territory in Putnam County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, AES Indiana, Hendricks County Rural E M C, South Central Indiana REMC. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Greencastle Township, IN in?
Greencastle Township is in Putnam County, Indiana. About 12,807 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Putnam County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Putnam County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hendricks County.
Is Putnam County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,562 jobs in 2025 against 13,529 in 2019 (-7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 555 to 583.
Does Putnam County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Putnam County, 1 in force.