Lake County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tiptonville and Ridgely
Lake 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. Lake County is home to Tiptonville and Ridgely. 50 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Leeward Asset Management, LLC (battery storage), the 8th largest pipeline among Tennessee's counties. Employers here counted 1,456 jobs in 2025, down 9.3% from 2019. 177 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Lake County
Lake County is home to Tiptonville and Ridgely.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Wynnburg.
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 Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,988 | 6,249 | ▼ 10.6% | 94th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,606 | 1,456 | ▼ 9.3% | 92nd of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,798 | $57,050 | ▲ 39.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.7% | 4.8% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 177 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 50 MW | 28% of today's fleet | 8th of 12 by size |
Its power plants have 177 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. 6,249 people live here, down 10.6% since 2020. Gibson Electric Members Corp is the largest utility serving Lake County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.00¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities.
Who powers Lake County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +177 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lake County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,331 | 13.00¢ | 26% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 177 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgely Energy Farm | Leeward Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 177 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ridgely Energy Farm | Batteries | 50 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Leeward Asset Management, LLC |
The Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,456 | $57,050 | 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 Lake County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lake County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lake County, New Madrid 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 6,249 | ▼ 9.3% | 177 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Dyer County | 36,320 | ▲ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Fulton County KY | 6,218 | ▲ 10.3% | — | — | — | — |
| New Madrid County MO | 15,086 | ▲ 0.8% | 1,500 MW | — | — | — |
| Obion County | 30,067 | ▲ 9.0% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Pemiscot County MO | 14,465 | ▼ 13.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lake County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Gibson Electric Members Corp. The largest, Gibson Electric Members Corp, charged residential customers 13.00¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Lake County?
1 operating plant with 177 MW of capacity. The largest is Ridgely Energy Farm (177 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Lake County?
50 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Leeward Asset Management, LLC.
Are there data centers in Lake County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lake County.
Is Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,456 jobs in 2025 against 1,606 in 2019 (-9.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lake County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lake County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.