Rowan County, Kentucky: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morehead
Rowan County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Rowan County is home to Morehead. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Two-year moratorium on large-scale data centers”. Electrical contractors employ 15, up 15.4% since 2019 against up 22.8% statewide, at an average $50,149 a year. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Employers here counted 10,626 jobs in 2025, up 4.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Rowan County
Rowan County is home to Morehead.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Farmers.
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 Rowan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Kentucky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,714 | 24,476 | ▼ 1.0% | 48th of 120 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,159 | 10,626 | ▲ 4.6% | 54th of 120 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,926 | $50,051 | ▲ 39.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13 | 15 | ▲ 15.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 5.1% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Kentucky Utilities Co is the largest utility serving Rowan County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.85¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.21¢ median for Kentucky utilities. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. 24,476 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Rowan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rowan 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% |
| Kentucky Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 130,852 | 15.07¢ | 27% |
| Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY) | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,203 | 13.25¢ | 21% |
| Fleming-Mason Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,666 | 13.05¢ | 14% |
| Grayson Rural Electric Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,429 | 16.07¢ | 33% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morehead Generating Facility | North American Biofuels, LLC | Other technologies | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Rowan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 10,626 | $50,051 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 15 | $50,149 | 0.20 |
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 Rowan County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-year moratorium on large-scale data centers | In force | 2026-09 |
Rowan County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Rowan County, Fleming 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rowan County | 24,476 | ▲ 4.6% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bath County | 13,176 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Carter County | 26,149 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Elliott County | 7,265 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Fleming County | 15,787 | ▲ 2.3% | — | 188 MW | — | — |
| Lewis County | 12,901 | ▲ 1.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Menifee County | 6,430 | ▲ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 14,415 | ▲ 6.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Kentucky
Rowan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rowan County, Kentucky?
5 utilities have service territory in Rowan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Kentucky Utilities Co, Kentucky Power Co, Clark Energy Coop Inc - (KY), Fleming-Mason Energy Coop Inc. The largest, Kentucky Utilities Co, charged residential customers 11.85¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Rowan County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Morehead Generating Facility (1 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Rowan County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rowan County.
Is Rowan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 10,626 jobs in 2025 against 10,159 in 2019 (+4.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Rowan County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Rowan County, 1 in force.