Pulaski County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Somerset
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pulaski County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pulaski County is home to Somerset, Ferguson, Burnside and Science Hill. Next door, Casey County has 217 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 344 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal. Employers here counted 26,767 jobs in 2025, up 1.8% from 2019. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Pulaski 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.
Cities and towns in Pulaski County
Pulaski County is home to Somerset, Ferguson, Burnside and Science Hill.
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 Pulaski County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,112 | 67,384 | ▲ 3.5% | 14th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 26,298 | 26,767 | ▲ 1.8% | 74th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,246 | $49,324 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
67,384 people live here, up 3.5% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Who powers Pulaski County
Utilities with service territory in Pulaski 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 344 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper | East Kentucky Power Coop, Inc | Coal | 344 MW | 1965 |
The Pulaski County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,767 | $49,324 | 1.00 |
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 Pulaski County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pulaski County. Kentucky has 44 local measures on record statewide.
Pulaski County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Pulaski County, Casey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulaski County | 67,384 | ▲ 1.8% | 344 MW | — | — | — |
| Casey County | 16,205 | ▲ 1.2% | — | 217 MW | — | — |
| Laurel County | 63,746 | ▼ 1.7% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 25,353 | ▲ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| McCreary County | 17,124 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Rockcastle County | 16,148 | ▼ 0.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Russell County | 18,608 | ▲ 5.1% | 270 MW | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 19,597 | ▼ 10.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Pulaski County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pulaski County, Kentucky?
3 utilities have service territory in Pulaski County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, South Kentucky Rural E C C, Jackson Energy Coop Corp - (KY). The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Somerset, KY in?
Somerset is in Pulaski County, Kentucky. About 12,695 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Pulaski County?
1 operating plant with 344 MW of capacity. The largest is Cooper (344 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Pulaski County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pulaski County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Casey County.
Is Pulaski County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,767 jobs in 2025 against 26,298 in 2019 (+1.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pulaski County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pulaski County. Kentucky has 44 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.