McMinn County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Athens, Etowah and Englewood
McMinn 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. McMinn County is home to Athens, Etowah, Englewood and Niota. Next door, Roane County has 2 data centers and 1,831 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 17,072 jobs in 2025, down 9.4% from 2019. 63 MW has retired here since 2019, including Bowater Newsprint Calhoun Operation (other technologies, 63 MW, 2022). 5 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in McMinn County
McMinn County is home to Athens, Etowah, Englewood and Niota.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Delano, Riceville.
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 McMinn County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 53,347 | 57,404 | ▲ 7.6% | 29th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,835 | 17,072 | ▼ 9.4% | 93rd of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,865 | $53,996 | ▲ 23.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.6% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 63 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Volunteer Electric Coop is the largest utility serving McMinn County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.19¢/kWh in 2024. 57,404 people live here, up 7.6% since 2020.
Who powers McMinn County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −58 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in McMinn County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volunteer Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 104,387 | 12.19¢ | 24% |
| Athens Utility Board | Municipal | Bundled | 11,651 | 11.77¢ | 23% |
| City of Etowah | Municipal | Bundled | 4,443 | 13.61¢ | 17% |
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 | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMAT Denso - SEAT Solar Holdings, LLC | Solarity Aggregator, LLC | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowater Newsprint Calhoun Operation | Other technologies | 63 MW | 2022 |
The McMinn County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,072 | $53,996 | 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 McMinn County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in McMinn County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Loudon County, Roane County.
McMinn County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border McMinn County, Roane 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McMinn County | 57,404 | ▼ 9.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Bradley County | 115,465 | ▼ 8.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Loudon County | 63,764 | ▲ 11.0% | 287 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Meigs County | 14,186 | ▼ 11.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 49,730 | ▲ 1.4% | — | 20 MW | — | — |
| Polk County | 18,592 | ▲ 15.1% | 164 MW | — | — | — |
| Roane County | 57,395 | ▲ 4.0% | 1,700 MW | 1,831 MW | 2 | 1 |
More of Tennessee
McMinn County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McMinn County, Tennessee?
3 utilities have service territory in McMinn County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Volunteer Electric Coop, Athens Utility Board, City of Etowah. The largest, Volunteer Electric Coop, charged residential customers 12.19¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Athens, TN in?
Athens is in McMinn County, Tennessee. About 15,263 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in McMinn County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is DMAT Denso - SEAT Solar Holdings, LLC (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in McMinn County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in McMinn County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Roane County.
Is McMinn County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,072 jobs in 2025 against 18,835 in 2019 (-9.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does McMinn County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McMinn County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.