Carroll County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Carrollton
The data center boom is not abstract in Carroll County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Carroll County. Carroll County is home to Carrollton. Its power plants have 2,226 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal, the 3rd largest fleet in Kentucky. Employers here counted 7,875 jobs in 2025, up 11.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Carroll County
Carroll County is home to Carrollton.
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 Carroll County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,831 | 11,141 | ▲ 2.9% | 95th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,097 | 7,875 | ▲ 11.0% | 23rd of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,947 | $76,745 | ▲ 30.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Carroll County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. 11,141 people live here, up 2.9% since 2020.
Who powers Carroll County
Utilities with service territory in Carroll 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% |
| Owen Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 63,984 | 12.55¢ | 7% |
| Shelby Energy Coop, Inc - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,437 | 13.21¢ | 18% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,226 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghent | Kentucky Utilities Co | Coal | 2,226 MW | 1974 |
The Carroll County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,875 | $76,745 | 1.00 |
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 Carroll County
1 data center in Carroll County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Carroll County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Carroll County, Trimble 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 11,141 | ▲ 11.0% | 2,226 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gallatin County | 8,840 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 16,447 | ▲ 9.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County IN | 33,279 | ▲ 3.6% | 1,304 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Owen County | 11,601 | ▲ 18.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Switzerland County IN | 10,037 | ▼ 22.5% | 78 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Trimble County | 8,701 | ▼ 7.5% | 2,594 MW | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Carroll County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carroll County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in Carroll County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Owen Electric Coop Inc, Shelby Energy Coop, Inc - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Carroll County?
1 operating plant with 2,226 MW of capacity. The largest is Ghent (2,226 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Carroll County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Carroll County.
Is Carroll County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,875 jobs in 2025 against 7,097 in 2019 (+11.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Carroll County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Carroll County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.