Cleveland County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Norman, Oklahoma City and Moore
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cleveland County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cleveland County is home to Norman, part of Oklahoma City (81,379 of its 719,849 residents), Moore and Noble. Next door, Oklahoma County has 12 data centers and 896 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 91,969 jobs in 2025, up 9.1% from 2019. Construction employs 4,881, up 3.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Cleveland County
Cleveland County is home to Norman, part of Oklahoma City (81,379 of its 719,849 residents), Moore and Noble.
- Oklahoma City also extends into Oklahoma County, Canadian County.
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 Cleveland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 296,253 | 303,973 | ▲ 2.6% | 3rd of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 84,291 | 91,969 | ▲ 9.1% | 18th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,385 | $52,749 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,725 | 4,881 | ▲ 3.3% | 35th of 48 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 330 | 294 | ▼ 10.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11 | 37 | ▲ 236.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 21 MW of capacity, 82% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 742, at an average $61,430 a year. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Cleveland County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities. 303,973 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020, 3rd of 77 Oklahoma counties by population.
Who powers Cleveland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cleveland County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 710,123 | 11.78¢ | 44% |
| Oklahoma Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 58,544 | 12.25¢ | 20% |
| Canadian Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,605 | 11.90¢ | 26% |
| City of Lexington - (OK) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 17 MW | 82% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 10% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Oklahoma | University of Oklahoma | Natural gas | 19 MW | 1949 |
| Norman Solar | DG Central 1, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Cleveland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 91,969 | $52,749 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,881 | $64,971 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 742 | $61,430 | 1.12 |
| Power and communication line construction | 294 | $83,678 | 1.98 |
| Data processing and hosting | 37 | $83,689 | 0.13 |
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 Cleveland County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cleveland County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Cleveland County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cleveland County, Oklahoma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland County | 303,973 | ▲ 9.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Canadian County | 187,189 | ▲ 5.3% | 896 MW | — | — | — |
| Grady County | 59,128 | ▲ 4.0% | 486 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
| McClain County | 49,647 | ▲ 31.2% | 551 MW | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma County | 822,125 | ▲ 7.0% | 2,307 MW | 896 MW | 12 | — |
| Pottawatomie County | 75,102 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Cleveland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cleveland County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Cleveland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Oklahoma Electric Coop Inc, Canadian Valley Elec Coop, Inc, City of Lexington - (OK). The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Norman, OK in?
Norman is in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. About 130,943 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Is Oklahoma City in Cleveland County?
Partly. 81,379 of Oklahoma City's 719,849 residents (11%) live in Cleveland County; most of the city is in Oklahoma County.
What county is Moore, OK in?
Moore is in Cleveland County, Oklahoma. About 63,609 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cleveland County?
2 operating plants with 21 MW of capacity. The largest is University of Oklahoma (19 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Cleveland County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cleveland County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Oklahoma County.
Is Cleveland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 91,969 jobs in 2025 against 84,291 in 2019 (+9.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,725 to 4,881.
Does Cleveland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cleveland County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.