Jefferson County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Louisville, Jeffersontown and St. Matthews
The data center boom is not abstract in Jefferson County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 18 data centers in Jefferson County, 30% of Kentucky's total. Jefferson County is home to Louisville, Jeffersontown, St. Matthews and Shively. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Six-month moratorium on new data centers”. 740 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Louisville Gas & Electric Co (natural gas), the largest pipeline among Kentucky's counties. 740 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,489 MW of capacity, 55% of it coal, the 2nd largest fleet in Kentucky.
Cities and towns in Jefferson County
Jefferson County is home to Louisville, Jeffersontown, St. Matthews and Shively.
And 16 smaller places.
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 Jefferson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 782,866 | 795,222 | ▲ 1.6% | 1st of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 470,694 | 480,013 | ▲ 2.0% | 71st of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,105 | $74,424 | ▲ 30.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,611 | 21,821 | ▲ 11.3% | 37th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,173 | 3,669 | ▲ 15.6% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 544 | 614 | ▲ 12.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,291 | 1,166 | ▼ 9.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 406 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 740 MW | 30% of today's fleet | 1st of 17 by size |
406 MW has retired here since 2019, including Mill Creek (KY) (coal, 356 MW, 2024). Construction employs 21,821, up 11.3% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 3,669, up 15.6% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $81,296 a year. Employers here counted 480,013 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. Louisville Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Jefferson County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.28¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 795,222 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020, 1st of 120 Kentucky counties by population.
Who powers Jefferson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −406 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Jefferson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 384,902 | 12.28¢ | 42% |
| Salt River Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,479 | 10.88¢ | 23% |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,362 MW | 55% |
| Natural gas | 1,018 MW | 41% |
| Hydro | 110 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek (KY) | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Coal | 1,362 MW | 1974 |
| Cane Run | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Natural gas | 807 MW | 2015 |
| Paddys Run | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Natural gas | 211 MW | 1968 |
| Ohio Falls | Louisville Gas & Electric Co | Hydro | 110 MW | 1928 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek (KY) | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 740 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Louisville Gas & Electric Co |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Creek (KY) | Coal | 356 MW | 2024 |
| Zorn | Natural gas | 18 MW | 2021 |
| Cane Run | Natural gas | 16 MW | 2019 |
| Paddys Run | Natural gas | 16 MW | 2021 |
The Jefferson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 480,013 | $74,424 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 21,821 | $82,638 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,669 | $81,296 | 1.06 |
| Power and communication line construction | 614 | $80,439 | 0.79 |
| Electric utilities | 902 | $141,479 | 0.69 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,166 | $154,732 | 0.78 |
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 Jefferson County
18 data centers in Jefferson County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six-month moratorium on new data centers | In force | 2026-08 |
Jefferson County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 795,222 | ▲ 2.0% | 2,489 MW | 740 MW | 18 | 1 |
| Bullitt County | 86,454 | ▲ 12.8% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Clark County IN | 130,451 | ▲ 11.2% | 6 MW | 200 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Floyd County IN | 82,153 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hardin County | 113,482 | ▲ 1.5% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County IN | 40,437 | ▼ 1.7% | 1 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Oldham County | 70,986 | ▲ 4.1% | 581 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
| Shelby County | 51,243 | ▲ 0.6% | 2 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Spencer County | 20,998 | ▲ 10.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Jefferson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jefferson County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in Jefferson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Louisville Gas & Electric Co, Salt River Electric Coop Corp, Shelby Energy Coop, Inc - (KY). The largest, Louisville Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 12.28¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Louisville, KY in?
Louisville is in Jefferson County, Kentucky. About 641,962 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Jeffersontown, KY in?
Jeffersontown is in Jefferson County, Kentucky. About 29,193 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is St. Matthews, KY in?
St. Matthews is in Jefferson County, Kentucky. About 17,868 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Jefferson County?
4 operating plants with 2,489 MW of capacity. The largest is Mill Creek (KY) (1,362 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Jefferson County?
740 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 740 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Louisville Gas & Electric Co.
Are there data centers in Jefferson County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 18 data centers in Jefferson County.
Is Jefferson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 480,013 jobs in 2025 against 470,694 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 19,611 to 21,821.
Does Jefferson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Jefferson County, 1 in force.