Armstrong County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Claude
Armstrong County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. Construction employs 292, up 521.3% since 2019, and construction is 7.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 733 jobs in 2025, up 85.1% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 254 Texas counties). The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Armstrong County. Armstrong County is home to Claude. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Good Data Center Campus (Armstrong County).
Cities and towns in Armstrong County
Armstrong County is home to Claude.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Washburn.
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 Armstrong County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,851 | 1,843 | ▼ 0.4% | 233rd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 396 | 733 | ▲ 85.1% | 5th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,240 | $73,237 | ▲ 73.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 47 | 292 | ▲ 521.3% | 2nd of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.4% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 266 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 266 MW | 100% of today's fleet | 92nd of 149 by size |
266 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by FGE Goodnight II, LLC (wind). 266 MW of it is already under construction or built. 266 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 266 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Armstrong County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 1,843 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Armstrong County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +266 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Armstrong County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,912 | 18.00¢ | 11% |
| Swisher Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 266 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodnight | FGE Goodnight I, LLC | Wind | 266 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goodnight Wind II | Onshore Wind Turbine | 266 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | FGE Goodnight II, LLC |
The Armstrong County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 733 | $73,237 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 292 | $99,806 | 7.52 |
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 Armstrong County
1 data center in Armstrong County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good Data Center Campus (Armstrong County) | delayed | — |
Armstrong County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Armstrong County, Carson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong County | 1,843 | ▲ 85.1% | 266 MW | 266 MW | 1 | — |
| Briscoe County | 1,474 | ▲ 7.2% | 350 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Carson County | 5,805 | ▲ 40.5% | 1,212 MW | 16,147 MW | — | — |
| Donley County | 3,213 | ▲ 1.0% | 174 MW | — | — | — |
| Gray County | 20,919 | ▼ 1.4% | — | 500 MW | 1 | — |
| Potter County | 114,453 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,555 MW | 168 MW | 4 | — |
| Randall County | 152,351 | ▲ 13.9% | 166 MW | — | — | — |
| Swisher County | 6,703 | ▼ 4.7% | 1,100 MW | 601 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Armstrong County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Armstrong County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Armstrong County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc, Swisher Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Armstrong County?
1 operating plant with 266 MW of capacity. The largest is Goodnight (266 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Armstrong County?
266 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 266 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is FGE Goodnight II, LLC.
Are there data centers in Armstrong County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Armstrong County.
Is Armstrong County adding jobs?
Employers counted 733 jobs in 2025 against 396 in 2019 (+85.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 47 to 292.
Does Armstrong County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Armstrong County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.