Bedford County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shelbyville
Bedford County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Construction employs 1,199, up 45.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Bedford County is home to Shelbyville and Wartrace. Next door, Moore County has 200 MW of planned generation. 35 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 16,906 jobs in 2025, up 4.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bedford County
Bedford County is home to Shelbyville and Wartrace.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Unionville.
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 Bedford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 50,381 | 55,273 | ▲ 9.7% | 32nd of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 16,124 | 16,906 | ▲ 4.8% | 49th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,516 | $55,909 | ▲ 38.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 825 | 1,199 | ▲ 45.3% | 15th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 35 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 35 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. 55,273 people live here, up 9.7% since 2020. Duck River Elec Member Corp is the largest utility serving Bedford County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.50¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Who powers Bedford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +35 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bedford County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duck River Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 71,342 | 12.50¢ | 27% |
| City of Shelbyville - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 9,877 | 11.33¢ | 37% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 35 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Bell Buckle | SR Bell Buckle, LLC | Solar | 35 MW | 2023 |
The Bedford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,906 | $55,909 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,199 | $90,710 | 1.34 |
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 Bedford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bedford County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Coffee County, Moore County, Rutherford County.
Bedford County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Bedford County, Moore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County | 55,273 | ▲ 4.8% | 35 MW | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 62,419 | ▼ 1.0% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Lincoln County | 36,853 | ▼ 2.3% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County | 38,071 | ▲ 1.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Moore County | 6,920 | ▲ 7.8% | — | 200 MW | — | 1 |
| Rutherford County | 386,352 | ▲ 10.8% | 8 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Tennessee
Bedford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bedford County, Tennessee?
2 utilities have service territory in Bedford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duck River Elec Member Corp, City of Shelbyville - (TN). The largest, Duck River Elec Member Corp, charged residential customers 12.50¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Shelbyville, TN in?
Shelbyville is in Bedford County, Tennessee. About 26,146 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bedford County?
1 operating plant with 35 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Bell Buckle (35 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Bedford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bedford County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Moore County.
Is Bedford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,906 jobs in 2025 against 16,124 in 2019 (+4.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 825 to 1,199.
Does Bedford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bedford County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.