Laurel County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to London
Laurel County has more of its workforce in data processing and hosting than the country as a whole. Laurel County is home to London. Construction employs 962, up 43.6% since 2019. 4 MW has retired here since 2019, including Laurel Ridge LFGTE (other technologies, 4 MW, 2023). Its power plants have 70 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Electrical contractors employ 230, at an average $145,952 a year.
Cities and towns in Laurel County
Laurel County is home to London.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): East Bernstadt, North Corbin.
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 Laurel County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 62,733 | 63,746 | ▲ 1.6% | 15th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 26,559 | 26,104 | ▼ 1.7% | 91st of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,913 | $50,304 | ▲ 36.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 670 | 962 | ▲ 43.6% | 13th of 55 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 85 | 96 | ▲ 12.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 233 | 309 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 5.2% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — |
Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 26,104 jobs in 2025, down 1.7% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Laurel County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. 63,746 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Laurel County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Laurel 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% |
| South Kentucky Rural E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 64,877 | 12.92¢ | 8% |
| Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 49,423 | 13.66¢ | 14% |
| Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,478 | 12.87¢ | 28% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 70 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Dam | USCE-Nashville District | Hydro | 70 MW | 1977 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Ridge LFGTE | Other technologies | 4 MW | 2023 |
The Laurel County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,104 | $50,304 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 962 | $74,739 | 0.70 |
| Electrical contractors | 230 | $145,952 | 1.22 |
| Power and communication line construction | 96 | $45,715 | 2.28 |
| Data processing and hosting | 309 | $49,274 | 3.81 |
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 Laurel County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Laurel County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Laurel County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Laurel County, Pulaski 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel County | 63,746 | ▼ 1.7% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 19,465 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 13,325 | ▲ 8.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 29,532 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| McCreary County | 17,124 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 67,384 | ▲ 1.8% | 344 MW | — | — | — |
| Rockcastle County | 16,148 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Whitley County | 37,297 | ▲ 23.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Laurel County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Laurel County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Laurel County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, South Kentucky Rural E C C, Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY), Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc.. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Laurel County?
1 operating plant with 70 MW of capacity. The largest is Laurel Dam (70 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Laurel County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Laurel County.
Is Laurel County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,104 jobs in 2025 against 26,559 in 2019 (-1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 670 to 962.
Does Laurel County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Laurel County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.