Clay County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Celina
Clay 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. Clay County is home to Celina. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 54 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Upper Cumberland E M C is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Employers here counted 1,334 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Celina.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,588 | 7,821 | ▲ 3.1% | 90th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,353 | 1,334 | ▼ 1.4% | 75th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $30,759 | $41,969 | ▲ 36.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 3.8% | ▼ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
7,821 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020.
Who powers Clay County
Utilities with service territory in Clay County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Cumberland E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 45,560 | 12.77¢ | 26% |
| Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,824 | 12.33¢ | 31% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 54 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Hollow | USCE-Nashville District | Hydro | 54 MW | 1948 |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,334 | $41,969 | 1.00 |
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 Clay County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clay County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Clay County, Overton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 7,821 | ▼ 1.4% | 54 MW | — | — | — |
| Clinton County KY | 9,139 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Cumberland County KY | 5,992 | ▲ 29.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 12,466 | ▲ 21.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Macon County | 27,663 | ▲ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Monroe County KY | 11,191 | ▲ 2.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Overton County | 23,787 | ▲ 13.5% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Pickett County | 5,219 | ▼ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Tennessee?
2 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Upper Cumberland E M C, Tri-County Elec Member Corp (TN). The largest, Upper Cumberland E M C, charged residential customers 12.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Clay County?
1 operating plant with 54 MW of capacity. The largest is Dale Hollow (54 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,334 jobs in 2025 against 1,353 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.