Washington County, Tennessee: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Johnson City and Jonesborough
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Washington County. Washington County is home to most of Johnson City (72,680 of its 74,943 residents) and Jonesborough. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium (through June 30, 2027)”. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Mountain Home Energy Center (natural gas, 3 MW, 2022). 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 63,282 jobs in 2025, up 3.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to most of Johnson City (72,680 of its 74,943 residents) and Jonesborough.
- Johnson City also extends into Carter County, Sullivan County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Embreeville, Fall Branch, Gray, Oak Grove, Spurgeon, Telford.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Tennessee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 133,211 | 141,199 | ▲ 6.0% | 12th of 95 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 61,243 | 63,282 | ▲ 3.3% | 56th of 95 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,998 | $57,939 | ▲ 34.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Its power plants have 23 MW of capacity, 84% of it solar. Johnson City - (TN) is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.41¢/kWh in 2024. 141,199 people live here, up 6.0% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +12 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson City - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 72,205 | 12.41¢ | 37% |
| Kingsport Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 43,159 | 12.84¢ | 21% |
| City of Elizabethton - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 23,344 | 11.82¢ | 32% |
| Town of Erwin - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 7,618 | 12.23¢ | 28% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 19 MW | 84% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 16% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Washington I, LLC | SR Washington I, LLC | Solar | 9 MW | 2021 |
| SR Gray | SR Gray, LLC | Solar | 6 MW | 2026 |
| SR Jonesborough | SR Jonesborough II, LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2018 |
| Mountain Home Energy Center | Energy Systems Group LLC | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2002 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain Home Energy Center | Natural gas | 3 MW | 2022 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 63,282 | $57,939 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 29 | $127,239 | 0.15 |
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 Washington County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium (through June 30, 2027) | In force | 2026-03 |
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Washington County, Hawkins 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 141,199 | ▲ 3.3% | 23 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Carter County | 57,361 | ▲ 11.3% | 68 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Greene County | 73,831 | ▼ 0.7% | 14 MW | — | — | — |
| Hawkins County | 59,559 | ▲ 6.0% | 997 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sullivan County | 163,759 | ▲ 3.1% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Unicoi County | 17,856 | ▼ 0.2% | — | — | — | — |
More of Tennessee
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Tennessee?
4 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Johnson City - (TN), Kingsport Power Co, City of Elizabethton - (TN), Town of Erwin - (TN). The largest, Johnson City - (TN), charged residential customers 12.41¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Johnson City, TN in?
Most of Johnson City is in Washington County: 72,680 of its 74,943 residents, or 97%. The rest of the city lies in Carter County, Sullivan County.
What power plants are in Washington County?
4 operating plants with 23 MW of capacity. The largest is SR Washington I, LLC (9 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Washington County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sullivan County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 63,282 jobs in 2025 against 61,243 in 2019 (+3.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Washington County, 1 in force.