Le Flore County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Poteau, Pocola and Heavener
Le Flore County is where a large share of Oklahoma's next power plants are planned. Construction employs 570, up 64.7% since 2019. Le Flore County is home to Poteau, Pocola, Heavener and Spiro. 400 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Clenera DevCo LLC (battery storage), the 7th largest pipeline among Oklahoma's counties. Its power plants have 350 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal. Employers here counted 11,998 jobs in 2025, down 3.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Le Flore County
Le Flore County is home to Poteau, Pocola, Heavener and Spiro.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hodgen, Monroe, Whitesboro.
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 Le Flore County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 48,209 | 50,196 | ▲ 4.1% | 17th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,482 | 11,998 | ▼ 3.9% | 50th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,092 | $43,674 | ▲ 14.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 346 | 570 | ▲ 64.7% | 7th of 48 by growth |
| 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 | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 400 MW | 114% of today's fleet | 7th of 12 by size |
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Le Flore County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities. 50,196 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Who powers Le Flore County
Utilities with service territory in Le Flore 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% |
| Choctaw Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,483 | 13.21¢ | 21% |
| Kiamichi Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,685 | 12.90¢ | 19% |
| Cookson Hills Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,551 | 14.18¢ | 11% |
| Arkansas Valley Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,250 | 13.28¢ | 35% |
| Rich Mountain Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Spiro - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 350 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Valley | Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Coal | 350 MW | 1990 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solstice Solar LLC | Batteries | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Clenera DevCo LLC |
| Solstice Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Clenera DevCo LLC |
The Le Flore County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,998 | $43,674 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 570 | $51,210 | 0.90 |
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 Le Flore County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Le Flore County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Le Flore County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Le Flore County, McCurtain 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Flore County | 50,196 | ▼ 3.9% | 350 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Haskell County | 11,787 | ▼ 7.8% | 90 MW | — | — | — |
| Latimer County | 9,645 | ▲ 31.0% | — | — | — | — |
| McCurtain County | 30,744 | ▲ 11.5% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County AR | 19,486 | ▼ 2.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Pushmataha County | 10,807 | ▲ 0.2% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County AR | 9,965 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Sebastian County AR | 130,641 | ▲ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Sequoyah County | 40,842 | ▼ 0.9% | 149 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Le Flore County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Le Flore County, Oklahoma?
8 utilities have service territory in Le Flore County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Choctaw Electric Coop Inc, Kiamichi Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Le Flore County?
1 operating plant with 350 MW of capacity. The largest is River Valley (350 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Le Flore County?
400 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Clenera DevCo LLC.
Are there data centers in Le Flore County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Le Flore County.
Is Le Flore County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,998 jobs in 2025 against 12,482 in 2019 (-3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 346 to 570.
Does Le Flore County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Le Flore County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.