Bourbon County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Paris
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bourbon County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Bourbon County is home to Paris, most of Millersburg (730 of its 745 residents) and North Middletown. Next door, Fayette County has 7 data centers. Construction employs 328, up 7.9% since 2019. 1 MW has retired here since 2019, including Paris (KY) (petroleum, 1 MW, 2023). Employers here counted 7,068 jobs in 2025, up 4.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bourbon County
Bourbon County is home to Paris, most of Millersburg (730 of its 745 residents) and North Middletown.
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 Bourbon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,299 | 20,243 | ▼ 0.3% | 57th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,798 | 7,068 | ▲ 4.0% | 60th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,751 | $56,105 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 304 | 328 | ▲ 7.9% | 40th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — |
Its power plants have 11 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Bourbon County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 20,243 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Bourbon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bourbon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 450,673 | 11.85¢ | 32% |
| Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 60,641 | 12.32¢ | 14% |
| Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,203 | 13.25¢ | 21% |
| City of Paris - (KY) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 11 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris (KY) | City of Paris - (KY) | Petroleum | 11 MW | 1934 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris (KY) | Petroleum | 1 MW | 2023 |
The Bourbon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,068 | $56,105 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 328 | $68,761 | 0.88 |
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 Bourbon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bourbon County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Clark County, Fayette County, Scott County.
Bourbon County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Bourbon County, Fayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon County | 20,243 | ▲ 4.0% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Bath County | 13,176 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 37,888 | ▼ 7.8% | 947 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Fayette County | 329,751 | ▲ 5.9% | 41 MW | 40 MW | 7 | 1 |
| Harrison County | 19,627 | ▲ 3.5% | 100 MW | 70 MW | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 28,822 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Nicholas County | 7,949 | ▲ 12.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 62,262 | ▲ 16.4% | 2 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Bourbon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bourbon County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Bourbon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY), City of Paris - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Paris, KY in?
Paris is in Bourbon County, Kentucky. About 10,130 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bourbon County?
1 operating plant with 11 MW of capacity. The largest is Paris (KY) (11 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Bourbon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bourbon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Fayette County.
Is Bourbon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,068 jobs in 2025 against 6,798 in 2019 (+4.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 304 to 328.
Does Bourbon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bourbon County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.