Hardeman County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bolivar and Whiteville
Hardeman County is where a large share of Tennessee's next power plants are planned. Hardeman County is home to Bolivar, Whiteville and Middleton. 55 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by SR Middleton, LLC (solar), the 6th largest pipeline among Tennessee's counties. 55 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 148, up 27.6% since 2019. Employers here counted 6,396 jobs in 2025, down 7.2% from 2019. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Hardeman County
Hardeman County is home to Bolivar, Whiteville and Middleton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Essary Springs, Pocahontas.
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 Hardeman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,435 | 25,274 | ▼ 0.6% | 60th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,892 | 6,396 | ▼ 7.2% | 89th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,765 | $53,425 | ▲ 34.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 116 | 148 | ▲ 27.6% | 27th of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 5.1% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 55 MW | 301% of today's fleet | 6th of 12 by size |
Its power plants have 18 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Southwest Tennessee E M C is the largest utility serving Hardeman County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. 25,274 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Hardeman County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hardeman 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% |
| Pickwick Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,609 | 12.67¢ | 32% |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 18 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latitude Solar Center | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 15 MW | 2018 |
| SR Bolivar | SR Bolivar, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Middleton | Solar Photovoltaic | 55 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | SR Middleton, LLC |
The Hardeman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,396 | $53,425 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 148 | $63,575 | 0.44 |
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 Hardeman County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hardeman County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Hardeman County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Hardeman County, Haywood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardeman County | 25,274 | ▼ 7.2% | 18 MW | 55 MW | — | — |
| Alcorn County MS | 34,569 | ▼ 6.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Benton County MS | 7,502 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,004 MW | — | — | — |
| Chester County | 17,994 | ▲ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 45,071 | ▲ 5.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Haywood County | 17,042 | ▲ 29.9% | 2,095 MW | 66 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 100,790 | ▲ 2.7% | 87 MW | 42 MW | — | — |
| McNairy County | 26,236 | ▲ 5.1% | 81 MW | — | — | — |
| Tippah County MS | 21,389 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Hardeman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hardeman County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Hardeman County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwest Tennessee E M C, Chickasaw Electric Coop, Inc, Pickwick Electric Coop, Bolivar Energy Authority. The largest, Southwest Tennessee E M C, charged residential customers 12.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hardeman County?
2 operating plants with 18 MW of capacity. The largest is Latitude Solar Center (15 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Hardeman County?
55 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 55 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SR Middleton, LLC.
Are there data centers in Hardeman County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hardeman County.
Is Hardeman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,396 jobs in 2025 against 6,892 in 2019 (-7.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 116 to 148.
Does Hardeman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hardeman County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.