Spencer County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ohio Township, Carter Township and Clay Township
Spencer County hosts some of the generating capacity Indiana runs on. Owners plan to retire 2,600 MW more by 2035, led by Rockport in 2028. Spencer County is home to Ohio Township, Carter Township, Clay Township and Santa Claus. Construction employs 434, down 20.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,652 MW of capacity, 98% of it coal, the 2nd largest fleet in Indiana. Next door, Dubois County has 200 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Spencer County
Spencer County is home to Ohio Township, Carter Township, Clay Township and Santa Claus.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hatfield, St. Meinrad.
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 Spencer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,831 | 20,061 | ▲ 1.2% | 73rd of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,817 | 6,874 | ▲ 0.8% | 44th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,555 | $50,275 | ▲ 21.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 549 | 434 | ▼ 20.9% | 67th of 68 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.1% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 50 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
50 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co is the largest utility serving Spencer County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.52¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Employers here counted 6,874 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.1% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 20,061 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Spencer County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +50 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Spencer County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 133,795 | 17.52¢ | 24% |
| Southern Indiana R E C, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,936 | 15.73¢ | 8% |
| City of Owensboro - (KY) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Troy - (IN) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,600 MW | 98% |
| Solar | 52 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockport | Indiana Michigan Power Co | Coal | 2,600 MW | 1984 |
| Troy Solar | Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co | Solar | 50 MW | 2021 |
| New Haven Solar RES | Hoosier Energy R E C, Inc | Solar | 1 MW | 2016 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockport | Coal | 2,600 MW | 2028 |
The Spencer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,874 | $50,275 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 434 | $58,910 | 1.19 |
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 Spencer County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Spencer County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Daviess County, Warrick County.
Spencer County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Spencer County, Warrick 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer County | 20,061 | ▲ 0.8% | 2,652 MW | — | — | — |
| Daviess County KY | 104,898 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Dubois County | 44,016 | ▼ 3.7% | 2 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Hancock County KY | 9,050 | ▼ 11.5% | 176 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Perry County | 19,389 | ▼ 2.5% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Warrick County | 66,803 | ▲ 9.4% | 1,192 MW | 200 MW | — | 1 |
More of Indiana
Spencer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Spencer County, Indiana?
4 utilities have service territory in Spencer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co, Southern Indiana R E C, Inc, City of Owensboro - (KY), City of Troy - (IN). The largest, Southern Indiana Gas & Elec Co, charged residential customers 17.52¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Spencer County?
3 operating plants with 2,652 MW of capacity. The largest is Rockport (2,600 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Spencer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Spencer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dubois County.
Is Spencer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,874 jobs in 2025 against 6,817 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 549 to 434.
Does Spencer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Spencer County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.