Fayette County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Oakland, Somerville and Piperton
Fayette 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. Fayette County is home to Oakland, Somerville, Piperton and Rossville. Construction employs 798, up 13.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Shelby County has 16 data centers. 165 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 8,381 jobs in 2025, up 5.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Fayette County
Fayette County is home to Oakland, Somerville, Piperton and Rossville.
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 Fayette County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 41,868 | 45,071 | ▲ 7.7% | 37th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,951 | 8,381 | ▲ 5.4% | 44th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,334 | $59,836 | ▲ 38.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 702 | 798 | ▲ 13.7% | 40th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 165 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 180 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Southwest Tennessee E M C is the largest utility serving Fayette County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. 45,071 people live here, up 7.7% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Who powers Fayette County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +165 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fayette County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Tennessee E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 43,750 | 12.90¢ | 26% |
| Chickasaw Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,576 | 11.00¢ | 34% |
| Bolivar Energy Authority | Municipal | Bundled | 8,929 | 13.50¢ | 35% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 180 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yum Yum Solar LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Solar | 147 MW | 2026 |
| SR Canadaville, LLC | SR Canadaville, LLC | Solar | 16 MW | 2024 |
| Wildberry | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 15 MW | 2018 |
| Somerville Solar | Somerville Solar, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Fayette County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,381 | $59,836 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 798 | $74,959 | 1.80 |
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 Fayette County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fayette County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Fayette County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Fayette County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 45,071 | ▲ 5.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Benton County MS | 7,502 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,004 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardeman County | 25,274 | ▼ 7.2% | 18 MW | 55 MW | — | — |
| Haywood County | 17,042 | ▲ 29.9% | 2,095 MW | 66 MW | — | — |
| Marshall County MS | 34,654 | ▲ 52.9% | 10 MW | 55 MW | — | — |
| Shelby County | 910,226 | ▼ 6.3% | 1,571 MW | 16 MW | 16 | — |
| Tipton County | 62,287 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Fayette County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fayette County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in Fayette County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwest Tennessee E M C, Chickasaw Electric Coop, Inc, Bolivar Energy Authority. The largest, Southwest Tennessee E M C, charged residential customers 12.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Oakland, TN in?
Oakland is in Fayette County, Tennessee. About 10,835 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Fayette County?
4 operating plants with 180 MW of capacity. The largest is Yum Yum Solar LLC (147 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Fayette County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fayette County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shelby County.
Is Fayette County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,381 jobs in 2025 against 7,951 in 2019 (+5.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 702 to 798.
Does Fayette County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fayette County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.