Bandera County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lake Medina Shores and Lakehills
Bandera County is where a large share of Texas's next power plants are planned. Bandera County is home to Bandera. 133 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Rio Lago Solar, LLC (solar). 133 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 3,868 jobs in 2025, up 14.0% from 2019. Construction employs 341, down 6.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Bandera County
Bandera County is home to Bandera.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Medina Shores, Lakehills.
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 Bandera County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 20,987 | 22,876 | ▲ 9.0% | 109th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,394 | 3,868 | ▲ 14.0% | 57th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,215 | $46,256 | ▲ 24.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 366 | 341 | ▼ 6.8% | 133rd of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 133 MW | 671% of today's fleet | 133rd of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Its power plants have 20 MW of capacity, 100% of it battery storage. 22,876 people live here, up 9.0% since 2020. City of San Antonio - (TX) is the largest utility serving Bandera County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.43¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities.
Who powers Bandera County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bandera County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of San Antonio - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 865,914 | 12.43¢ | 54% |
| Bandera Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,346 | 12.40¢ | 27% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regis Medina Lake | Regis Medina Lake LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2026 |
| Regis Utopia | Regis Utopia LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Lago Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 123 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Rio Lago Solar, LLC |
| Regis Medina | Batteries | 10 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Regis Medina LLC |
The Bandera County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,868 | $46,256 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 341 | $54,385 | 1.66 |
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 Bandera County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bandera County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Bandera County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bandera County, Bexar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandera County | 22,876 | ▲ 14.0% | 20 MW | 133 MW | — | — |
| Bexar County | 2,160,088 | ▲ 6.7% | 4,969 MW | 750 MW | 51 | — |
| Kendall County | 53,289 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Kerr County | 54,037 | ▲ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Medina County | 56,881 | ▲ 12.3% | — | 180 MW | 3 | — |
| Real County | 2,745 | ▲ 8.9% | 2 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Uvalde County | 24,963 | ▼ 0.7% | 304 MW | 480 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Bandera County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bandera County, Texas?
2 utilities have service territory in Bandera County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of San Antonio - (TX), Bandera Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, City of San Antonio - (TX), charged residential customers 12.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Bandera County?
2 operating plants with 20 MW of capacity. The largest is Regis Medina Lake (10 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Bandera County?
133 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 133 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Rio Lago Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Bandera County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bandera County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bexar County.
Is Bandera County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,868 jobs in 2025 against 3,394 in 2019 (+14.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 366 to 341.
Does Bandera County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bandera County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.