Clark County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Winchester
Clark County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 216, up 113.9% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $63,554 a year. Clark County is home to Winchester. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. Construction employs 713, up 19.4% since 2019. Next door, Fayette County has 7 data centers.
Cities and towns in Clark County
Clark County is home to Winchester.
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 Clark County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 37,033 | 37,888 | ▲ 2.3% | 27th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,679 | 13,539 | ▼ 7.8% | 111th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,154 | $57,150 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 597 | 713 | ▲ 19.4% | 30th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 101 | 216 | ▲ 113.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 3.7% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 13,539 jobs in 2025, down 7.8% from 2019. Its power plants have 947 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas, the 9th largest fleet in Kentucky. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Clark County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 37,888 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Clark County
Utilities with service territory in Clark 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% |
| Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,203 | 13.25¢ | 21% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 938 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 8 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J K Smith | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | Natural gas | 938 MW | 1999 |
| Cooperative Solar One | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | Solar | 8 MW | 2017 |
The Clark County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,539 | $57,150 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 713 | $66,099 | 0.99 |
| Electrical contractors | 216 | $63,554 | 2.21 |
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 Clark County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-08 |
Clark County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County | 37,888 | ▼ 7.8% | 947 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bourbon County | 20,243 | ▲ 4.0% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Estill County | 13,962 | ▼ 5.8% | 4 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Fayette County | 329,751 | ▲ 5.9% | 41 MW | 40 MW | 7 | 1 |
| Madison County | 101,696 | ▲ 6.9% | — | 100 MW | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 28,822 | ▼ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Powell County | 12,812 | ▲ 13.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Clark County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clark County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Clark County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Winchester, KY in?
Winchester is in Clark County, Kentucky. About 19,514 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Clark County?
2 operating plants with 947 MW of capacity. The largest is J K Smith (938 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Clark County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clark County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Fayette County.
Is Clark County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,539 jobs in 2025 against 14,679 in 2019 (-7.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 597 to 713.
Does Clark County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Clark County, 1 in force.