Wayne County, Utah: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fremont and Teasdale
Wayne County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Wayne County is home to Loa. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through January 17, 2027”. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 6.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,274 jobs in 2025, up 17.6% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 29 Utah counties). Garkane Energy Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Wayne County. Its residential customers paid an average 11.45¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Loa.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fremont, Teasdale.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Utah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,505 | 2,587 | ▲ 3.3% | 27th of 29 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,083 | 1,274 | ▲ 17.6% | 10th of 29 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,900 | $47,547 | ▲ 44.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.1% | 4.0% | ▼ 2.1pts | — |
2,587 people live here, up 3.3% since 2020.
Who powers Wayne County
Utilities with service territory in Wayne County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garkane Energy Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,653 | 11.45¢ | 41% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Wayne County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,274 | $47,547 | 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 Wayne County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through January 17, 2027 | In force | 2026-07 |
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wayne County, Emery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 2,587 | ▲ 17.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Emery County | 10,177 | ▲ 12.4% | 3,728 MW | — | — | — |
| Garfield County | 5,256 | ▲ 6.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Grand County | 9,790 | ▲ 12.6% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Piute County | 1,509 | ▲ 6.6% | — | — | — | — |
| San Juan County | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
| Sevier County | 22,827 | ▲ 10.2% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
More of Utah
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Utah?
1 utility has service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Garkane Energy Coop, Inc. The largest, Garkane Energy Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 11.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,274 jobs in 2025 against 1,083 in 2019 (+17.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Wayne County, 1 in force.