Mercer County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Harrodsburg and Burgin
Mercer County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Mercer County. Construction employs 345, up 42.6% since 2019. Mercer County is home to Harrodsburg and Burgin. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term”. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Burgin / Mercer County Proposed Data Center (draft ordinance pending).
Cities and towns in Mercer County
Mercer County is home to Harrodsburg and Burgin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Salvisa.
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 Mercer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,654 | 23,733 | ▲ 4.8% | 50th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,367 | 6,416 | ▲ 0.8% | 82nd of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,494 | $61,935 | ▲ 25.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 242 | 345 | ▲ 42.6% | 14th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 293 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 125 MW | 8% of today's fleet | 8th of 17 by size |
125 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Kentucky Utilities Co (battery storage), the 8th largest pipeline among Kentucky's counties. 125 MW of it is already under construction or built. 293 MW has retired here since 2019, including E W Brown (coal, 293 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 1,488 MW of capacity, 66% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Kentucky. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Mercer 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. Employers here counted 6,416 jobs in 2025, up 0.8% from 2019. 23,733 people live here, up 4.8% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Who powers Mercer County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −293 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mercer 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% |
| Salt River Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,479 | 10.88¢ | 23% |
| Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,655 | 13.74¢ | 10% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 981 MW | 66% |
| Coal | 464 MW | 31% |
| Hydro | 30 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 13 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E W Brown | Kentucky Utilities Co | Natural gas | 1,458 MW | 1971 |
| Dix Dam | Kentucky Utilities Co | Hydro | 28 MW | 1925 |
| Mother Ann Lee | Lock 7 Hydro Partners LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 2007 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E W Brown | Batteries | 125 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Kentucky Utilities Co |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| E W Brown | Coal | 293 MW | 2019 |
The Mercer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,416 | $61,935 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 345 | $61,597 | 1.01 |
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 Mercer County
1 data center in Mercer County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers for a stated term | In force | 2026-08 | |
| One-year moratorium on data center construction | In force | 2026-08 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgin / Mercer County Proposed Data Center (draft ordinance pending) | under review no zoning process | — |
Mercer County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Mercer County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | 23,733 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,488 MW | 125 MW | 1 | 2 |
| Anderson County | 25,225 | ▲ 5.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Boyle County | 31,632 | ▲ 2.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Garrard County | 18,207 | ▲ 26.4% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Jessamine County | 57,147 | ▲ 11.4% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Washington County | 12,368 | ▲ 6.1% | — | 120 MW | — | — |
| Woodford County | 27,883 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Kentucky
Mercer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mercer County, Kentucky?
4 utilities have service territory in Mercer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Blue Grass Energy Coop Corp, Salt River Electric Coop Corp, Inter County Energy Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mercer County?
3 operating plants with 1,488 MW of capacity. The largest is E W Brown (1,458 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Mercer County?
125 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 125 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Kentucky Utilities Co.
Are there data centers in Mercer County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Mercer County.
Is Mercer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,416 jobs in 2025 against 6,367 in 2019 (+0.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 242 to 345.
Does Mercer County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Mercer County, 2 in force.