Lyon County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Eddyville
Lyon County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Lyon County is home to Eddyville and Kuttawa. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. Construction employs 131, up 33.7% since 2019. 86 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 216 MW of capacity, 60% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Lyon County
Lyon County is home to Eddyville and Kuttawa.
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 Lyon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,673 | 9,123 | ▲ 5.2% | 101st of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,575 | 2,596 | ▲ 0.8% | 81st of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,663 | $49,147 | ▲ 50.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 98 | 131 | ▲ 33.7% | 21st of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 86 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Lyon 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. Employers here counted 2,596 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. 9,123 people live here, up 5.2% since 2020.
Who powers Lyon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +86 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lyon 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% |
| Kenergy Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 47,292 | 15.15¢ | 6% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 130 MW | 60% |
| Solar | 86 MW | 40% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barkley | USCE-Nashville District | Hydro | 130 MW | 1966 |
| Ashwood Solar I | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 86 MW | 2026 |
The Lyon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,596 | $49,147 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 131 | $63,660 | 0.95 |
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 Lyon County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-08 |
Lyon County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lyon County, Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County | 9,123 | ▲ 0.8% | 216 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Caldwell County | 12,609 | ▲ 12.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Crittenden County | 8,807 | ▼ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Livingston County | 8,863 | ▲ 35.9% | 76 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 31,659 | ▲ 1.9% | 933 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Trigg County | 14,512 | ▼ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Lyon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lyon County, Kentucky?
2 utilities have service territory in Lyon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Kenergy Corp. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lyon County?
2 operating plants with 216 MW of capacity. The largest is Barkley (130 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Lyon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lyon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Marshall County.
Is Lyon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,596 jobs in 2025 against 2,575 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 98 to 131.
Does Lyon County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Lyon County, 1 in force.