Anderson County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oak Ridge, Clinton and Oliver Springs
Anderson County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 234, up 310.5% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $73,576 a year. Construction employs 1,742, up 57.1% since 2019. Anderson County is home to most of Oak Ridge (30,300 of its 35,395 residents), Clinton, most of Oliver Springs (2,442 of its 3,433 residents) and most of Rocky Top (1,634 of its 1,681 residents). The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (2 in force); the latest is “Two-year data center moratorium”. 979 MW has retired here since 2019, including Bull Run (coal, 950 MW, 2023).
Cities and towns in Anderson County
Anderson County is home to most of Oak Ridge (30,300 of its 35,395 residents), Clinton, most of Oliver Springs (2,442 of its 3,433 residents) and most of Rocky Top (1,634 of its 1,681 residents).
- Oak Ridge also extends into Roane County.
- Oliver Springs also extends into Roane County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Andersonville, Briceville.
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 Anderson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 77,347 | 82,066 | ▲ 6.1% | 18th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 39,823 | 46,595 | ▲ 17.0% | 7th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $59,839 | $82,978 | ▲ 38.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,109 | 1,742 | ▲ 57.1% | 13th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57 | 234 | ▲ 310.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 979 MW | — |
Employers here counted 46,595 jobs in 2025, up 17.0% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 95 Tennessee counties). Next door, Roane County has 2 data centers and 1,831 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 136 MW of capacity, 96% of it hydro. Knoxville Utilities Board is the largest utility serving Anderson County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.54¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. 82,066 people live here, up 6.1% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Who powers Anderson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −979 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Anderson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knoxville Utilities Board | Municipal | Bundled | 193,707 | 12.54¢ | 40% |
| City of Clinton - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 26,230 | 12.99¢ | 23% |
| City of Oak Ridge | Municipal | Bundled | 15,497 | 12.47¢ | 62% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 131 MW | 96% |
| Other technologies | 5 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norris Dam | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 131 MW | 1936 |
| Chestnut Ridge Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 5 MW | 1992 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull Run | Coal | 950 MW | 2023 |
| Buffalo Mountain Energy Center | Wind | 27 MW | 2024 |
| Buffalo Mountain | Wind | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Anderson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 46,595 | $82,978 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,742 | $78,545 | 0.71 |
| Electrical contractors | 234 | $73,576 | 0.70 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $84,658 | 0.06 |
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 Anderson County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 | |
| Anderson County (2-year moratorium on data centers, crypto mining, battery storage), TN data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Anderson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Anderson County, Roane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 82,066 | ▲ 17.0% | 136 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Campbell County | 40,290 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 511,453 | ▲ 9.2% | 5 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Morgan County | 22,160 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Roane County | 57,395 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,700 MW | 1,831 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Scott County | 22,671 | ▼ 0.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County | 21,450 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Anderson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Anderson County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Anderson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Knoxville Utilities Board, City of Clinton - (TN), City of Oak Ridge. The largest, Knoxville Utilities Board, charged residential customers 12.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Oak Ridge, TN in?
Most of Oak Ridge is in Anderson County: 30,300 of its 35,395 residents, or 86%. The rest of the city lies in Roane County.
What county is Clinton, TN in?
Clinton is in Anderson County, Tennessee. About 10,466 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Anderson County?
2 operating plants with 136 MW of capacity. The largest is Norris Dam (131 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Anderson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Anderson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Roane County.
Is Anderson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 46,595 jobs in 2025 against 39,823 in 2019 (+17.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,109 to 1,742.
Does Anderson County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Anderson County, 2 in force.