Bailey County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Muleshoe
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bailey County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Bailey County is home to Muleshoe. Next door, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, has 200 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 2,412 jobs in 2025, down 5.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 148 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Bailey County
Bailey County is home to Muleshoe.
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 Bailey County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,869 | 6,963 | ▲ 1.4% | 185th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,545 | 2,412 | ▼ 5.2% | 202nd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,542 | $51,257 | ▲ 29.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Bailey 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. 6,963 people live here, up 1.4% since 2020.
Who powers Bailey County
Utilities with service territory in Bailey 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% |
| Bailey County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,348 | 8.77¢ | 20% |
| Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,810 | 9.52¢ | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 148 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Cloud Wind Energy LLC | TC Energy | Wind | 148 MW | 2018 |
The Bailey County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,412 | $51,257 | 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 Bailey County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bailey County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Bailey County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bailey County, Roosevelt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey County | 6,963 | ▼ 5.2% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Cochran County | 2,546 | ▼ 0.3% | 150 MW | 120 MW | — | — |
| Curry County NM | 46,655 | ▲ 7.1% | 573 MW | — | — | — |
| Hockley County | 21,600 | ▼ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Lamb County | 12,579 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,476 MW | — | — | — |
| Parmer County | 9,678 | ▲ 11.1% | 495 MW | — | — | — |
| Roosevelt County NM | 18,615 | ▼ 0.4% | 942 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Bailey County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bailey County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Bailey County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Bailey County Elec Coop Assn, Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bailey County?
1 operating plant with 148 MW of capacity. The largest is Blue Cloud Wind Energy LLC (148 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Bailey County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bailey County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Roosevelt County.
Is Bailey County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,412 jobs in 2025 against 2,545 in 2019 (-5.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Bailey County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bailey County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.