Fayette County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lexington
The data center boom is not abstract in Fayette County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Fayette County, 11% of Kentucky's total. Fayette County and the city of Lexington share the same boundaries. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through October 31, 2026”. 40 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc (solar). 40 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 11,077, up 11.7% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Fayette County
Fayette County and the city of Lexington share the same boundaries.
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 Fayette County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 322,620 | 329,751 | ▲ 2.2% | 2nd of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 195,183 | 206,779 | ▲ 5.9% | 45th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,432 | $66,702 | ▲ 32.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,918 | 11,077 | ▲ 11.7% | 35th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,293 | 1,427 | ▲ 10.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 445 | 418 | ▼ 6.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 40 MW | 97% of today's fleet | 15th of 17 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 1,427, up 10.4% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $67,225 a year. Employers here counted 206,779 jobs in 2025, up 5.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 41 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Fayette 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. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 329,751 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020, 2nd of 120 Kentucky counties by population.
Who powers Fayette County
Utilities with service territory in Fayette 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 41 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haefling | Kentucky Utilities Co | Natural gas | 41 MW | 1970 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooperative Solar Two-Fayette | Solar Photovoltaic | 40 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc |
The Fayette County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 206,779 | $66,702 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 11,077 | $80,029 | 1.01 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,427 | $67,225 | 0.96 |
| Electric utilities | 30 | $150,344 | 0.05 |
| Data processing and hosting | 418 | $130,394 | 0.65 |
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 Fayette County
7 data centers in Fayette County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through October 31, 2026 | In force | 2026-06 |
Fayette County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Fayette County, Clark 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 329,751 | ▲ 5.9% | 41 MW | 40 MW | 7 | 1 |
| Bourbon County | 20,243 | ▲ 4.0% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 37,888 | ▼ 7.8% | 947 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jessamine County | 57,147 | ▲ 11.4% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Madison County | 101,696 | ▲ 6.9% | — | 100 MW | — | — |
| Scott County | 62,262 | ▲ 16.4% | 2 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Woodford County | 27,883 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Fayette County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fayette County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in Fayette County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lexington, KY in?
Lexington is in Fayette County, Kentucky. About 329,751 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Fayette County?
1 operating plant with 41 MW of capacity. The largest is Haefling (41 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Fayette County?
40 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 40 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc.
Are there data centers in Fayette County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 7 data centers in Fayette County.
Is Fayette County adding jobs?
Employers counted 206,779 jobs in 2025 against 195,183 in 2019 (+5.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 9,918 to 11,077.
Does Fayette County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Fayette County, 1 in force.