Power Supply Chain and Demand in Kentucky
Vertically integrated utilities run most of Kentucky's grid. 3,251 MW of new generation is planned in Kentucky, 1,622 MW of it under construction or built and awaiting operation, against 0 MW of planned retirements through 2030. 61 data centers are identified in the state. Residential electricity averaged 14.27¢/kWh in 2026 through July, +8.8% from a year earlier. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, and construction employment is +14.8% against August 2019. The SAVRN trackers hold 44 local moratoria or restrictions for Kentucky across all statuses (40 in force) and 6 named projects on the Delay Watchlist.
What the build-out changed in Kentucky
Kentucky carries more data center demand than most states, and the question now is whether its grid and workforce keep pace. Developers have announced $109.6B of data center capital in Kentucky, 3rd among the 31 states with a disclosed figure. Electrical contractor jobs, the trade every data center, substation and plant needs first, grew 22.8% from 2019 to 2025, 20th in the country. Construction employment is +14.8% against August 2019, 23rd of 48 states where BLS publishes it. Pushback is organized: the SAVRN trackers hold 44 local moratoria or restrictions in Kentucky, 9th in the country. Factory employment is the exception: manufacturing jobs are -1.3% against August 2019.
Then and now
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction jobs (Aug 2019 → Aug 2026) | 81.7k | 93.8k | ▲ 14.8% | 23rd of 48 |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,622 | 13,046 | ▲ 22.8% | 20th of 48 |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,492 | 4,173 | ▲ 19.5% | 27th of 44 |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,729 | 3,642 | ▼ 2.3% | 43rd of 46 |
| Unemployment rate (Feb 2020 → Aug 2026) | 4.1% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Residential price, ¢/kWh (YTD Jul 2025 → 2026) | 13.12¢ | 14.27¢ | ▲ 8.8% | 17th of 51 |
| Generation fleet → planned additions | 22.4 GW operating | 3.3 GW planned | 15% of fleet | 27th of 51 |
Where Kentucky ranks among 51
1st = the most. Ranks cover every state and DC that publishes the figure.
Regionally, Virginia leads on announced data center capital at $213.4B; Kentucky is 2nd of 8 in its neighborhood at $109.6B.
County spotlight
Jefferson County holds the most data centers on record in Kentucky (18), and its electrical contractor workforce changed +15.6% since 2019 to 3,669 jobs. The fastest-growing electrical trade market is Warren County, where contractor jobs grew 35.2% to 630.
Where Kentucky sits in the power system
- Grid operator
- Non-RTO (utility-run)
- Operating capacity
- 22.4 GW
- Planned generation
- 3,251 MW
- Under construction or built
- 1,622 MW
- Data centers identified
- 61
- Data center load in queues
- —
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.7%
- Residential price change
- +8.8%
Neighboring states are shaded. Select one to open its page.
Kentucky, county by county
120 counties in Kentucky. Planned generation sits in 17 of them, data centers stand in 23, and local measures are on record in 24. Pick a layer, then select a county for its full record.
County leaders
Counties on record 64
| County | Data centers | Planned MW | Building MW | Lead developer | Electrical contractor jobs | Change 2019–25 | Local measures | Watchlist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 18 | 740 MW | 740 MW | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | 3,669 | ▲ 15.6% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Fayette County | 7 | 40 MW | 40 MW | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | 1,427 | ▲ 10.4% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| McCracken County | 4 | 400 MW | — | GGSO, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Marshall County | 4 | — | — | — | 218 | — | — | — | |
| Boone County | 3 | — | — | — | 392 | ▲ 28.9% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Greenup County | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Oldham County | 2 | — | — | — | 156 | ▼ 11.4% | 2 (2 in force) | 1 | |
| Floyd County | 2 | — | — | — | 8 | ▼ 42.9% | — | — | |
| Shelby County | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Pike County | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Hopkins County | 1 | 225 MW | 225 MW | Weirs Creek Solar LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Mercer County | 1 | 125 MW | 125 MW | Kentucky Utilities Co | — | — | 2 (2 in force) | 1 | |
| Simpson County | 1 | 80 MW | 80 MW | SR Horus, LLC | 63 | ▲ 215.0% | — | — | |
| Warren County | 1 | — | — | — | 630 | ▲ 35.2% | — | — | |
| Jessamine County | 1 | — | — | — | 127 | ▲ 29.6% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Carroll County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Hancock County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Barren County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Bell County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Logan County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Calloway County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Mason County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Christian County | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Perry County | — | 490 MW | — | BrightNight Power | 112 | ▲ 148.9% | — | — | |
| Breckinridge County | — | 300 MW | — | DYSP, LLC | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Casey County | — | 217 MW | — | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | |
| Fleming County | — | 188 MW | 188 MW | Acciona Energy USA Global, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Washington County | — | 120 MW | — | FRON bn, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Madison County | — | 100 MW | 100 MW | Acciona Energy USA Global, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Marion County | — | 96 MW | — | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | |
| Harrison County | — | 70 MW | 70 MW | Blue Moon Energy LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Henderson County | — | 51 MW | 51 MW | Stellar Renewable Power | — | — | — | — | |
| Lee County | — | 6 MW | 3 MW | Lock 14 Hydro Partners, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Estill County | — | 3 MW | — | Lock 11 Hydro Partners, LLC | — | — | — | — | |
| Kenton County | — | — | — | — | 497 | ▲ 19.8% | — | — | |
| Webster County | — | — | — | — | 334 | ▼ 18.7% | — | — | |
| Franklin County | — | — | — | — | 316 | ▼ 13.7% | — | — | |
| Laurel County | — | — | — | — | 230 | — | — | — | |
| Clark County | — | — | — | — | 216 | ▲ 113.9% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Campbell County | — | — | — | — | 211 | ▲ 2.9% | — | — | |
| Boyle County | — | — | — | — | 114 | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Grant County | — | — | — | — | 113 | — | — | — | |
| Spencer County | — | — | — | — | 107 | ▲ 296.3% | — | — | |
| Scott County | — | — | — | — | 93 | ▲ 6.9% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Carter County | — | — | — | — | 85 | ▲ 7.6% | — | — | |
| Graves County | — | — | — | — | 79 | ▲ 36.2% | — | — | |
| Lincoln County | — | — | — | — | 61 | ▼ 19.7% | — | — | |
| Taylor County | — | — | — | — | 60 | ▲ 25.0% | — | — | |
| Larue County | — | — | — | — | 44 | ▲ 57.1% | — | — | |
| Allen County | — | — | — | — | 29 | ▲ 20.8% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Johnson County | — | — | — | — | 26 | ▼ 3.7% | — | — | |
| Caldwell County | — | — | — | — | 18 | ▲ 100.0% | — | — | |
| Rowan County | — | — | — | — | 15 | ▲ 15.4% | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Adair County | — | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | |
| Pendleton County | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | |
| Edmonson County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Boyd County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 (2 in force) | — | |
| Butler County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 (2 in force) | — | |
| Meade County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 (2 in force) | 2 | |
| Lyon County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Daviess County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Woodford County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Bullitt County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | |
| Nelson County | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — |
Every county in Kentucky 120
Each county has its own page: power plants, utilities and prices, jobs since 2019, data centers, local rules and its neighbors.
Cities and towns on record 27
| City or town | County | Data centers | Local measures | Watchlist | Latest record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville | Jefferson County | 18 | 1 (0 in force) | 1 | Louisville's proposed data center regulations Proposed | |
| Lexington | Fayette County | 7 | — | — | — | |
| Calvert City | Marshall County | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Florence | Boone County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Paducah | McCracken County | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Russell | Greenup County | 2 | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month data center moratorium In force | |
| Pikeville | Pike County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Simpsonville | Shelby County | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Bowling Green | Warren County | 1 | 1 (0 in force) | — | Six-month data center moratorium (rejected 3-2) Failed / vetoed | |
| Franklin | Simpson County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| High Bridge | Jessamine County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Hopkinsville | Christian County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Madisonville | Hopkins County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Murray | Calloway County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Russellville | Logan County | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Ashland | Boyd County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month moratorium followed by conditional-use zoning limits In force | |
| Burgin City Council | Mercer County | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Burgin City Council (annexation for hyperscale data center) data center moratorium (proposed) Proposed | |
| Cave City | Barren County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year data center moratorium In force | |
| Cave City Council | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Cave City Council, KY data center moratorium In force | |
| Georgetown | Scott County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | City moratorium on data centers through December 31, 2026 In force | |
| Lexington-Fayette Urban County | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Moratorium on data center development In force | |
| Lexington-Fayette Urban County | — | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Lexington-Fayette Urban County (no incentives for DartPoints + council moratorium), KY data center moratorium In force | |
| London | Laurel County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Local moratorium on data centers through September 30, 2028 In force | |
| Louisville Metro Council | — | — | 1 (0 in force) | — | Louisville Metro Council (Councilwoman Chappell reintroduces moratorium on telecom hotels / data centers), KY Proposed | |
| Nicholasville | Jessamine County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Six-month data center moratorium In force | |
| Versailles | Woodford County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | Data center moratorium through end of 2026 In force | |
| Winchester | Clark County | — | 1 (1 in force) | — | One-year data center moratorium In force |
Data center counts come from every facility on the SAVRN Data Center Map, counted in the county and the city or community where each building physically stands (Census boundaries), not its mailing address. Jurisdictions appear as the Moratorium Tracker records them.
Kentucky, from generation to the household bill
1Grid operator
Utility-run territory: resource planning sits with the vertically integrated utilities and the state commission.
2Generation pipeline
- Operating capacity
- 22.4 GW
- Planned, all types
- 3,251 MW
- Under construction or built
- 1,622 MW
- Planned gas
- 1,032 MW
- Planned retirements 2026–30
- 0 MW
- Net firm additions derived
- 1,622 MW
3Data center demand
- Data centers identified
- 61
- Operators
- 22
- Load in tracked queues
- —
- Utility large-load projects
- 3
- Commercial sales, YTD change
- -0.5%
- Industry share of state GDP
- 1.4%
4Jobs and pay
- Unemployment, Aug 2026
- 4.7% (+0.2 pts y/y)
- Construction jobs vs 2019
- +14.8%
- Manufacturing jobs vs 2019
- -1.3%
- Electrical contractor jobs 2019–25
- +22.8%
- Electrician median pay
- $59,720
- Electrician ÷ cashier pay
- 2.09×
5Household bill
- Residential price, YTD Jul 2026
- 14.27¢/kWh
- Change vs YTD 2025
- +8.8%
- All-sector price change
- +7.8%
- Total retail sales change
- -1.0%
6Policy friction
- State measures on record
- 3
- Local measures (in force)
- 44 (40)
- Watchlist projects
- 6
- Lawsuits tracked
- 0
- Announced capital, disclosed
- $109.6B
- Dedicated tax incentive
- Yes
Planned power plants in Kentucky
Every planned generator in Kentucky in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, by technology, then the 15 largest units. Under construction or built covers status codes U, V and TS.
| Technology | Units | Planned MW | Under construction or built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar | 15 | 2,085 MW | 679 MW |
| Natural gas | 17 | 1,032 MW | 815 MW |
| Battery storage | 1 | 125 MW | 125 MW |
| Other | 18 | 8 MW | 3 MW |
Largest planned generators
| Plant | County | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek (KY) | Jefferson | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 740 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Louisville Gas & Electric Co |
| Starfire Mountain Solar | Perry | Solar Photovoltaic | 410 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | BrightNight Power |
| Dyers Spring Solar | Breckinridge | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | DYSP, LLC |
| Gage Solar | McCracken | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | GGSO, LLC |
| Mayfield Solar and Storage | McCracken | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | BrightNight Power |
| AEUG Fleming Solar, LLC | Fleming | Solar Photovoltaic | 188 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Acciona Energy USA Global, LLC |
| Weirs Creek | Hopkins | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Weirs Creek Solar LLC |
| E W Brown | Mercer | Batteries | 125 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Kentucky Utilities Co |
| Frontier Solar | Washington | Solar Photovoltaic | 120 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | FRON bn, LLC |
| New Frontiers Solar | Breckinridge | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Clover Creek Solar Project LLC d/b/a New Frontiers Solar Park |
| AEUG Madison Solar, LLC | Madison | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2028 | Acciona Energy USA Global, LLC |
| Cooperative Solar Three-Marion | Marion | Solar Photovoltaic | 96 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc |
| Bright Mountain Solar | Perry | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Avangrid Power LLC |
| SR Horus | Simpson | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | SR Horus, LLC |
| Blue Moon | Harrison | Solar Photovoltaic | 70 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Blue Moon Energy LLC |
What the Kentucky build-out runs on
Who is building generation in Kentucky, which manufacturers and contractors have a plant, expansion or contract recorded here, and how long the critical equipment takes to arrive.
Developers and owners with planned generation
| Developer or owner | Units | Planned MW | Building MW | Main technology | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | 1 | 740 MW | 740 MW | Natural gas | 1 |
| BrightNight Power | 2 | 610 MW | — | Solar | 2 |
| East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | 14 | 353 MW | 40 MW | Natural gas | 3 |
| Acciona Energy USA Global, LLC | 2 | 288 MW | 288 MW | Solar | 2 |
| GGSO, LLC | 1 | 200 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| DYSP, LLC | 1 | 200 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Weirs Creek Solar LLC | 1 | 150 MW | 150 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Kentucky Utilities Co | 1 | 125 MW | 125 MW | Battery storage | 1 |
| FRON bn, LLC | 1 | 120 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Clover Creek Solar Project LLC d/b/a New Frontiers Solar Park | 1 | 100 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| Avangrid Power LLC | 1 | 80 MW | — | Solar | 1 |
| SR Horus, LLC | 1 | 80 MW | 80 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Kentucky Municipal Energy Agency | 4 | 75 MW | 75 MW | Natural gas | 1 |
| Blue Moon Energy LLC | 1 | 70 MW | 70 MW | Solar | 1 |
| Stellar Renewable Power | 1 | 51 MW | 51 MW | Solar | 1 |
Manufacturers and contractors with a recorded Kentucky footprint
No plant, expansion or contract in the manufacturer record names Kentucky. The national suppliers below serve every state.
Order-by check derived
7 of the 8 planned units of 50 MW or more in Kentucky that are not yet under construction (1,206 of 1,406 MW) are past the date their step-up transformer had to be ordered to meet the planned in-service date. These units hold their schedules only if the equipment is already on order.
| Plant | Technology | MW | Planned in service | Transformer order-by | Turbine order-by | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starfire Mountain Solar | Solar | 410 MW | Sep 2029 | Aug 2026 | — | BrightNight Power |
| Gage Solar | Solar | 200 MW | Jun 2029 | May 2026 | — | GGSO, LLC |
| Mayfield Solar and Storage | Solar | 200 MW | Oct 2029 | Sep 2026 | — | BrightNight Power |
| Frontier Solar | Solar | 120 MW | Oct 2027 | Sep 2024 | — | FRON bn, LLC |
| New Frontiers Solar | Solar | 100 MW | Jun 2027 | May 2024 | — | Clover Creek Solar Project LLC d/b/a New Frontiers Solar Park |
| Cooperative Solar Three-Marion | Solar | 96 MW | Aug 2027 | Jul 2024 | — | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc |
| Bright Mountain Solar | Solar | 80 MW | Dec 2027 | Nov 2024 | — | Avangrid Power LLC |
Lead times, OEM backlogs and the national generation and grid contractors are on the national supply chain section.
Data center and large-load demand in Kentucky
61 data centers run by 22 operators are identified in Kentucky. The full list by city is on the Kentucky Data Center Map page. Utilities report 3 large customer projects here to EEI.
| Utility | Customer or type | MW stated | Investment stated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Power (AEP) | TeraWulf | 1 GW | — | |
| LG&E and KU Energy (PPL Corporation) | PowerHouse Data Centers, Poe Companies | 400 MW | — | |
| LG&E and KU Energy (PPL Corporation) | Ford | — | $5.8 billion |
The Kentucky jobs report, and who the build-out employs
Payroll employment, August 2026 (preliminary)
| Industry | Jobs | Change vs Aug 2025 | Change vs Aug 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total nonfarm | 2,034.2k | ▼ 0.1% | ▲ 4.4% (+85.6k) |
| Construction | 93.8k | ▲ 1.5% | ▲ 14.8% (+12.1k) |
| Manufacturing | 249.8k | ▼ 0.8% | ▼ 1.3% (-3.4k) |
| Mining and logging | 6.9k | ● 0.0% | ▼ 28.9% (-2.8k) |
| Retail trade | 211.1k | ▲ 0.4% | ▲ 0.9% (+1.9k) |
Power and data industries, 2019 to 2025
| Industry | Jobs 2019 | Jobs 2025 | Change | Average pay 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data processing and hosting | 3,729 | 3,642 | ▼ 2.3% | $110,475 |
| Electrical contractors | 10,622 | 13,046 | ▲ 22.8% | $73,260 |
| Power and communication line construction | 3,492 | 4,173 | ▲ 19.5% | $82,682 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, distribution | — | 5,070 | — | $121,868 |
| Transformer manufacturing | — | 77 | — | $113,188 |
Pay ladder, May 2025
| Occupation | Employment | Median annual pay | Multiple of cashier pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashiers | 44,550 | $28,590 | 1.00× |
| Fast food and counter workers | 41,860 | $27,130 | 0.95× |
| Retail salespersons | 51,250 | $29,650 | 1.04× |
| All occupations | 2,000,360 | $46,920 | 1.64× |
| Construction laborers | 13,280 | $45,710 | 1.60× |
| Welders | 6,630 | $51,470 | 1.80× |
| HVAC mechanics | 5,100 | $58,620 | 2.05× |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 6,360 | $64,160 | 2.24× |
| Electricians | 11,030 | $59,720 | 2.09× |
| Power plant operators | 690 | $93,400 | 3.27× |
| Power-line installers | 2,930 | $77,020 | 2.69× |
| Construction supervisors | 9,620 | $73,490 | 2.57× |
| Electrical engineers | 1,540 | $98,550 | 3.45× |
County-level contractor jobs and pay are in the county record above.
What the data center industry adds to Kentucky
PwC figures are modeled estimates commissioned by the industry.
State studies and incentive costs
| Economic study findings | Disclosed tax-incentive cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Economics Partners (Aug 2026): a $4B, 400 MW site supports 2,800–3,200 construction jobs and 200 permanent jobs at $105,000; $290–435M local tax over 12 years | $5M (2026, state only) |
The rules and the pipeline in Kentucky
State measures 3
| Bill | Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Order 2026-494 | Data-center screening and permit-denial order | In force | 2026-08 | |
| HB 544 | Kentucky: Prohibits utilities from serving data centers with 100+ MW aggregate contract capacity unless the Public Service Commission approves a specific | Failed / vetoed | 2026-02 | |
| HB 593 | Kentucky: HB 593 (Rep. Josh Bray, R) requires data centers to cover transmission and infrastructure costs, generate their own power or purchase on the open | Failed / vetoed | 2026-02 |
Delay Watchlist projects 6
| Project | Location | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Lincoln: OC Data Center | Oldham County | cancelled | 600 MW | ||
| Poe Companies / PowerHouse Data Centers (approved project) Louisville | Louisville | denied | 400 MW | ||
| Meade County 138-Acre Data Center Rezoning (denied) | Meade County (near Brandenburg) | rezoning denied | — | ||
| Lexington-Fayette Former Lexmark Property Data Center Moratorium | Lexington-Fayette Urban County | moratorium in force | — | ||
| Burgin / Mercer County Proposed Data Center (draft ordinance pending) | Burgin, Mercer County | under review no zoning process | — | ||
| Thomas A. Hobbs Living Trust (applicant) Meade County | Meade County | cancelled | — |
Local moratoria and restrictions (44) appear by county and city in the county-by-county section. Counts include every status in the weekly tracker feeds as of October 5, 2026. The Kentucky Data Center Map page counts only active local pauses and delayed or blocked projects as of its September 2 rebuild, so its figures are lower. The difference is one of definition and date.
Kentucky's neighbors
Kentucky power, answered from the record
How much new power generation is planned in Kentucky?
EIA's August 2026 inventory lists 3,251 MW of planned generators in Kentucky, 1,622 MW of it under construction or built. By capacity the pipeline is solar 64%, natural gas 32%, battery storage 4%. The largest single unit is Mill Creek (KY) (740 MW, Louisville Gas & Electric Co). Owners plan to retire 0 MW from 2026 to 2030.
Who runs the power grid in Kentucky?
Non-RTO (utility-run) serves most of Kentucky, which means vertically integrated utilities plan and dispatch generation under the state commission. No data center load is tracked in its queues yet.
Is planned generation in Kentucky on schedule?
7 of 8 planned units of 50 MW or more not yet under construction are past the latest date to order a step-up transformer (more than 160 weeks) for their planned in-service date. They hold schedule only if equipment is already on order.
Are electricity prices rising in Kentucky?
Residential electricity averaged 14.27¢/kWh from January to July 2026, +8.8% on a year earlier, the 17th fastest increase of 51. Commercial sales, the class that includes data centers, changed -0.5%.
What do electricians earn in Kentucky?
The median electrician in Kentucky earned $59,720 in May 2025, 2.09 times the median cashier, and power-line installers earned $77,020 (BLS OEWS).
Which counties in Kentucky have the most planned generation?
By planned nameplate capacity: Jefferson County (740 MW), Perry County (490 MW), McCracken County (400 MW).
Is the build-out creating trade jobs in Kentucky?
Construction employment is +14.8% against August 2019. Electrical contractor jobs went from 10,622 in 2019 to 13,046 in 2025 (+22.8%, 20th in the country).
Does Kentucky have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 3 state-level measures (1 enacted) and 44 local moratoria or restrictions in Kentucky, 40 of them in force, 9th most in the country.
Kentucky across the SAVRN trackers
Sources for this page
- BEA state GDP via FRED
- BLS LAUS
- BLS OEWS
- BLS QCEW
- BLS State Employment (CES)
- EEI large customer projects
- EIA Electric Power Monthly
- EIA-860M (Aug 2026)
- NCSL
- PwC for the Data Center Coalition
- SAVRN Capital Atlas
- SAVRN Data Center Map
- SAVRN Delay Watchlist
- SAVRN Grid Operator Watchlist
- SAVRN Moratorium Tracker
- U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundaries (via us-atlas)
Every figure links to its original source through the Sources buttons. Values marked derived are calculated from reported figures.