Madison County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Jackson and Three Way
No data center or power plant project is on record in Madison County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Madison County is home to Jackson and Three Way. 42 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by SR Denmark, LLC (solar), the 9th largest pipeline among Tennessee's counties. 42 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 474, up 17.6% since 2019 against up 20.9% statewide, at an average $79,601 a year. Construction employs 2,784, up 6.8% since 2019. 71 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Madison County
Madison County is home to Jackson and Three Way.
- Humboldt also extends into Gibson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beech Bluff, Mercer, Pinson.
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 Madison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 98,832 | 100,790 | ▲ 2.0% | 16th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59,426 | 61,056 | ▲ 2.7% | 59th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,827 | $60,495 | ▲ 38.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,607 | 2,784 | ▲ 6.8% | 44th of 55 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 403 | 474 | ▲ 17.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 71 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 42 MW | 48% of today's fleet | 9th of 12 by size |
Its power plants have 87 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 61,056 jobs in 2025, up 2.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Southwest Tennessee E M C is the largest utility serving Madison 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. 100,790 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Madison County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +71 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Madison 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% |
| City of Jackson - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 31,856 | 11.97¢ | 33% |
| Gibson Electric Members Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,331 | 13.00¢ | 26% |
| City of Milan - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,902 | 12.09¢ | 34% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 87 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR McKellar | SR McKellar, LLC | Solar | 70 MW | 2023 |
| Providence Solar | Providence Solar Center, LLC | Solar | 16 MW | 2017 |
| SR Jackson II | SR Jackson II, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Denmark | Solar Photovoltaic | 42 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | SR Denmark, LLC |
The Madison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 61,056 | $60,495 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,784 | $85,048 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 474 | $79,601 | 1.08 |
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 Madison County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Madison County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Madison County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 100,790 | ▲ 2.7% | 87 MW | 42 MW | — | — |
| Carroll County | 29,200 | ▲ 12.5% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Chester County | 17,994 | ▲ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Crockett County | 14,006 | ▲ 2.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Gibson County | 51,779 | ▲ 12.3% | 7 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Hardeman County | 25,274 | ▼ 7.2% | 18 MW | 55 MW | — | — |
| Haywood County | 17,042 | ▲ 29.9% | 2,095 MW | 66 MW | — | — |
| Henderson County | 28,518 | ▲ 1.8% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Madison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Madison County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Madison County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwest Tennessee E M C, City of Jackson - (TN), Gibson Electric Members Corp, City of Milan - (TN). The largest, Southwest Tennessee E M C, charged residential customers 12.90¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Jackson, TN in?
Jackson is in Madison County, Tennessee. About 69,339 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Madison County?
3 operating plants with 87 MW of capacity. The largest is SR McKellar (70 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Madison County?
42 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 42 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is SR Denmark, LLC.
Are there data centers in Madison County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Madison County.
Is Madison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 61,056 jobs in 2025 against 59,426 in 2019 (+2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,607 to 2,784.
Does Madison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Madison County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.