Claiborne County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Harrogate, New Tazewell and Tazewell
No data center or power plant project is on record in Claiborne County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Claiborne County is home to Harrogate, New Tazewell and Tazewell. Construction employs 234, up 30.7% since 2019. Next door, Bell County, Kentucky, has 1 data center. Employers here counted 8,712 jobs in 2025, down 5.4% from 2019. Powell Valley Electric Coop is the largest utility serving Claiborne County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.49¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities.
Cities and towns in Claiborne County
Claiborne County is home to Harrogate, New Tazewell and Tazewell.
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 Claiborne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 32,075 | 33,229 | ▲ 3.6% | 47th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,213 | 8,712 | ▼ 5.4% | 86th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,606 | $48,845 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 179 | 234 | ▲ 30.7% | 24th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
33,229 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Who powers Claiborne County
Utilities with service territory in Claiborne County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powell Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,147 | 11.49¢ | 22% |
| City of LaFollette | Municipal | Bundled | 19,934 | 13.51¢ | 39% |
| Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 78 | 14.31¢ | 0% |
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 Claiborne County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Claiborne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,712 | $48,845 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 234 | $71,396 | 0.51 |
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 Claiborne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Claiborne County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Bell County.
Claiborne County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Claiborne County, Bell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claiborne County | 33,229 | ▼ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Bell County KY | 22,829 | ▲ 2.3% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Campbell County | 40,290 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Grainger County | 25,739 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hancock County | 7,075 | ▲ 14.6% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Lee County VA | 21,642 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Union County | 21,450 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Whitley County KY | 37,297 | ▲ 23.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Claiborne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Claiborne County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Claiborne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Powell Valley Electric Coop, City of LaFollette, Cumberland Valley Electric, Inc.. The largest, Powell Valley Electric Coop, charged residential customers 11.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Claiborne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Claiborne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bell County.
Is Claiborne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,712 jobs in 2025 against 9,213 in 2019 (-5.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 179 to 234.
Does Claiborne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Claiborne County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.