Haywood County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brownsville
Haywood County hosts some of the generating capacity Tennessee runs on. Construction employs 728, up 1273.6% since 2019, and construction is 2.2 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 6,337 jobs in 2025, up 29.9% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 95 Tennessee counties). Haywood County is home to Brownsville. 66 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by SR Durhamville, LLC (solar), the 5th largest pipeline among Tennessee's counties. Its power plants have 2,095 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas, the 4th largest fleet in Tennessee.
Cities and towns in Haywood County
Haywood County is home to Brownsville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dancyville.
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 Haywood County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,827 | 17,042 | ▼ 4.4% | 75th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,879 | 6,337 | ▲ 29.9% | 3rd of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,163 | $68,066 | ▲ 65.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 53 | 728 | ▲ 1273.6% | 1st of 55 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 66 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 5th of 12 by size |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 62, at an average $120,315 a year. Southwest Tennessee E M C is the largest utility serving Haywood County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.90¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. 17,042 people live here, down 4.4% since 2020.
Who powers Haywood County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Haywood 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% |
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,331 | 13.00¢ | 26% |
| Chickasaw Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,576 | 11.00¢ | 34% |
| Forked Deer Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,345 | 14.33¢ | 16% |
| City of Brownsville | Municipal | Bundled | 4,067 | 11.43¢ | 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,085 MW | 100% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagoon Creek | Tennessee Valley Authority | Natural gas | 1,625 MW | 2001 |
| Brownsville Peaking Power | Tennessee Valley Authority | Natural gas | 460 MW | 1999 |
| West Tennessee Solar Farm | UT West Tennessee Solar Farm | Solar | 4 MW | 2012 |
| Haywood Solar | Haywood Solar, SMLLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2017 |
| SR Brownsville | SR Brownsville, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Durhamville | Solar Photovoltaic | 66 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | SR Durhamville, LLC |
The Haywood County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,337 | $68,066 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 728 | $86,560 | 2.17 |
| Electrical contractors | 62 | $120,315 | 1.36 |
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 Haywood County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Haywood County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Haywood County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Haywood County, Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haywood County | 17,042 | ▲ 29.9% | 2,095 MW | 66 MW | — | — |
| Crockett County | 14,006 | ▲ 2.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 45,071 | ▲ 5.4% | 180 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardeman County | 25,274 | ▼ 7.2% | 18 MW | 55 MW | — | — |
| Lauderdale County | 24,617 | ▼ 6.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 100,790 | ▲ 2.7% | 87 MW | 42 MW | — | — |
| Tipton County | 62,287 | ▲ 5.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Haywood County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Haywood County, Tennessee?
5 utilities have service territory in Haywood County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwest Tennessee E M C, Gibson Electric Members Corp, Chickasaw Electric Coop, Inc, Forked Deer Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwest Tennessee E M C, charged residential customers 12.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Haywood County?
5 operating plants with 2,095 MW of capacity. The largest is Lagoon Creek (1,625 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Haywood County?
66 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SR Durhamville, LLC.
Are there data centers in Haywood County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Haywood County.
Is Haywood County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,337 jobs in 2025 against 4,879 in 2019 (+29.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 53 to 728.
Does Haywood County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Haywood County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.