Coal County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Coalgate
No data center or power plant project is on record in Coal County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Coal County is home to Coalgate. Construction employs 104, down 32.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 1,234 jobs in 2025, down 8.0% from 2019. 62 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 62 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Coal County
Coal County is home to Coalgate.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Clarita, Cottonwood.
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 Coal County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,276 | 5,436 | ▲ 3.0% | 66th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,342 | 1,234 | ▼ 8.0% | 64th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,444 | $53,078 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 155 | 104 | ▼ 32.9% | 45th of 48 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 62 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Coal 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. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 5,436 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Coal County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +62 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Coal 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% |
| Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Investor Owned | Bundled | 501,093 | 12.73¢ | 36% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,583 | 9.09¢ | 9% |
| People's Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,728 | 12.53¢ | 28% |
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 | 62 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centrahoma East | Peoples Electric Cooperative | Natural gas | 25 MW | 2019 |
| Centrahoma West | Peoples Electric Cooperative | Natural gas | 25 MW | 2019 |
| Little Dixie | Peoples Electric Cooperative | Natural gas | 12 MW | 2019 |
The Coal County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,234 | $53,078 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 104 | $100,427 | 1.59 |
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 Coal County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Coal County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Coal County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Coal County, Pittsburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal County | 5,436 | ▼ 8.0% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
| Atoka County | 14,609 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Hughes County | 13,455 | ▼ 8.0% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Johnston County | 10,448 | ▲ 5.1% | 304 MW | — | — | — |
| Pittsburg County | 43,320 | ▼ 9.7% | 1,375 MW | — | — | — |
| Pontotoc County | 38,528 | ▲ 7.8% | 152 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Coal County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Coal County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Coal County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (OK), People's Electric Cooperative. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Coal County?
3 operating plants with 62 MW of capacity. The largest is Centrahoma East (25 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Coal County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Coal County.
Is Coal County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,234 jobs in 2025 against 1,342 in 2019 (-8.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 155 to 104.
Does Coal County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Coal County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.