Delaware County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Grove, Jay and West Siloam Springs
The build-out shows up in Delaware County as work for the electrical trades. Electrical contractors employ 181, up 170.1% since 2019 against up 8.3% statewide, at an average $79,114 a year. Construction employs 754, up 73.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Delaware County is home to Grove, Jay, West Siloam Springs and Colcord. 80 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC (solar). Next door, Mayes County has 1 data center and 794 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Delaware County
Delaware County is home to Grove, Jay, West Siloam Springs and Colcord.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brush Creek, Bull Hollow, Butler, Cayuga, Cleora, Cloud Creek, Copeland, Deer Lick, Dennis, Dodge, Dripping Springs, Drowning Creek, Flint Creek, Indianola, Kenwood, Leach, New Eucha, Oak Hill-Piney, Old Eucha, Rocky Ford, Sycamore, Tagg Flats, Twin Oaks, White Water, Zena.
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 Delaware County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 40,381 | 41,910 | ▲ 3.8% | 25th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,047 | 9,739 | ▲ 7.6% | 21st of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,251 | $44,193 | ▲ 32.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 435 | 754 | ▲ 73.3% | 4th of 48 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 67 | 181 | ▲ 170.1% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 53 | 81 | ▲ 52.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 80 MW | no fleet today | 12th of 12 by size |
Employers here counted 9,739 jobs in 2025, up 7.6% from 2019. Public Service Co of Oklahoma is the largest utility serving Delaware County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.73¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 41,910 people live here, up 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Delaware County
Utilities with service territory in Delaware County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Investor Owned | Bundled | 501,093 | 12.73¢ | 36% |
| Northeast Oklahoma Electric Co | Cooperative | Bundled | 37,871 | 12.85¢ | 27% |
| Lake Region Electric Coop, Inc - (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,788 | 12.02¢ | 8% |
| Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR) | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,783 | 14.20¢ | 29% |
| Empire District Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 3,901 | 14.61¢ | 25% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Delaware County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiddle Leaf Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 80 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
The Delaware County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,739 | $44,193 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 754 | $63,376 | 1.46 |
| Electrical contractors | 181 | $79,114 | 2.58 |
| Power and communication line construction | 81 | $65,380 | 5.15 |
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 Delaware County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Delaware County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Benton County.
Delaware County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Delaware County, Mayes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County | 41,910 | ▲ 7.6% | — | 80 MW | — | — |
| Adair County | 19,828 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Benton County AR | 332,554 | ▲ 23.0% | 561 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Cherokee County | 49,196 | ▲ 18.2% | 45 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Craig County | 14,518 | ▼ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Mayes County | 40,416 | ▲ 11.7% | 3,358 MW | 794 MW | 1 | — |
| McDonald County MO | 23,992 | ▼ 17.6% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Ottawa County | 30,438 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Delaware County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Delaware County, Oklahoma?
5 utilities have service territory in Delaware County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Northeast Oklahoma Electric Co, Lake Region Electric Coop, Inc - (OK), Ozarks Electric Coop Corp - (AR). The largest, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, charged residential customers 12.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
How much new power is planned in Delaware County?
80 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC.
Are there data centers in Delaware County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Delaware County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mayes County.
Is Delaware County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,739 jobs in 2025 against 9,047 in 2019 (+7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 435 to 754.
Does Delaware County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Delaware County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.