Butler County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morgantown
Butler County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Construction employs 116, up 54.7% since 2019. Butler County is home to Morgantown. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through June 26, 2027”. Employers here counted 2,940 jobs in 2025, up 2.9% from 2019. Warren Rural Elec Coop Corp is the largest utility serving Butler County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.98¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities.
Cities and towns in Butler County
Butler County is home to Morgantown.
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 Butler County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,321 | 12,520 | ▲ 1.6% | 90th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,857 | 2,940 | ▲ 2.9% | 65th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,812 | $48,317 | ▲ 31.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 75 | 116 | ▲ 54.7% | 8th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. 12,520 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Butler County
Utilities with service territory in Butler County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 60,701 | 11.98¢ | 20% |
| Pennyrile Rural Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 40,645 | 13.16¢ | 26% |
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 Butler County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Butler County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,940 | $48,317 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 116 | $53,466 | 0.74 |
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 Butler County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through June 26, 2027 | In force | 2026-06 | |
| Butler County Fiscal Court data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Butler County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Butler County, Muhlenberg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 12,520 | ▲ 2.9% | — | — | — | 2 |
| Edmonson County | 12,749 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Grayson County | 27,406 | ▼ 8.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Logan County | 28,669 | ▼ 2.3% | 173 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Muhlenberg County | 30,634 | ▼ 3.8% | 1,854 MW | — | — | — |
| Ohio County | 23,934 | ▼ 5.3% | 509 MW | — | — | — |
| Warren County | 149,375 | ▲ 10.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
More of Kentucky
Butler County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Butler County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Butler County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Warren Rural Elec Coop Corp, Pennyrile Rural Electric Coop. The largest, Warren Rural Elec Coop Corp, charged residential customers 11.98¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Butler County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Butler County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Logan County.
Is Butler County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,940 jobs in 2025 against 2,857 in 2019 (+2.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 75 to 116.
Does Butler County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Butler County, 2 in force.