Stewart County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dover
New generation is lining up in Stewart County. Owners plan to retire 2,600 MW more by 2035, led by Cumberland (TN) in 2028. 1,556 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Tennessee Valley Authority (natural gas), the 2nd largest pipeline among Tennessee's counties. 778 MW of it is already under construction or built. Stewart County is home to Dover. Its power plants have 2,600 MW of capacity, 100% of it coal, the 3rd largest fleet in Tennessee. Electrical contractors employ 20, at an average $52,217 a year.
Cities and towns in Stewart County
Stewart County is home to Dover.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Rock.
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 Stewart County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,708 | 14,439 | ▲ 5.3% | 80th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,843 | 2,828 | ▼ 0.5% | 70th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,739 | $64,472 | ▲ 27.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,556 MW | 60% of today's fleet | 2nd of 12 by size |
Cumberland Elec Member Corp is the largest utility serving Stewart County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.99¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.22¢ median for Tennessee utilities. Employers here counted 2,828 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. 14,439 people live here, up 5.3% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019.
Who powers Stewart County
Utilities with service territory in Stewart County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 100,585 | 12.99¢ | 20% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,600 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland (TN) | Tennessee Valley Authority | Coal | 2,600 MW | 1973 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland (TN) | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 455 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Cumberland (TN) | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 455 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2034 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Cumberland (TN) | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 323 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
| Cumberland (TN) | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 323 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2034 | Tennessee Valley Authority |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland (TN) | Coal | 1,300 MW | 2028 |
| Cumberland (TN) | Coal | 1,300 MW | 2034 |
The Stewart County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,828 | $64,472 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 20 | $52,217 | 0.98 |
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 Stewart County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Stewart County. Tennessee has 38 local measures on record statewide.
Stewart County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Stewart County, Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stewart County | 14,439 | ▼ 0.5% | 2,600 MW | 1,556 MW | — | — |
| Benton County | 16,183 | ▲ 8.4% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Calloway County KY | 39,421 | ▼ 4.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Christian County KY | 70,115 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Henry County | 32,896 | ▲ 3.3% | 7 MW | 50 MW | 1 | — |
| Houston County | 8,479 | ▼ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 249,935 | ▲ 17.6% | 10 MW | — | 5 | — |
| Trigg County KY | 14,512 | ▼ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Stewart County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Stewart County, Tennessee?
1 utility has service territory in Stewart County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Cumberland Elec Member Corp. The largest, Cumberland Elec Member Corp, charged residential customers 12.99¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Stewart County?
1 operating plant with 2,600 MW of capacity. The largest is Cumberland (TN) (2,600 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Stewart County?
1,556 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 778 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Tennessee Valley Authority.
Are there data centers in Stewart County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Stewart County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Montgomery County.
Is Stewart County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,828 jobs in 2025 against 2,843 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Stewart County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Stewart County. Tennessee has 38 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.