Bee County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Beeville
Bee County is where a large share of Texas's next power plants are planned. Construction employs 493, up 267.9% since 2019. Bee County is home to Beeville. 351 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Abeja Solar Farm LLC (solar). 151 MW of it is already under construction or built. 818 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 818 MW of capacity, 62% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Bee County
Bee County is home to Beeville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blue Berry Hill, Normanna, Pawnee, Pettus, Skidmore, Tuleta, Tulsita, Tynan.
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 Bee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 31,043 | 32,515 | ▲ 4.7% | 91st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,893 | 8,476 | ▼ 4.7% | 196th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,345 | $48,442 | ▲ 26.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 134 | 493 | ▲ 267.9% | 3rd of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.9% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 818 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 351 MW | 43% of today's fleet | 75th of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 8,476 jobs in 2025, down 4.7% from 2019. AEP Texas Central Company is the largest utility serving Bee County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 32,515 people live here, up 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers Bee County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +818 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bee County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas Central Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 784,148 | — | — |
| Karnes Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,222 | 9.90¢ | 43% |
| San Patricio Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,007 | 13.99¢ | 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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 508 MW | 62% |
| Solar | 301 MW | 37% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helena Wind | Helena Wind, LLC | Wind | 268 MW | 2022 |
| Sparta Solar | Sparta Solar, LLC | Solar | 250 MW | 2024 |
| Blackjack Creek Wind Farm | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 240 MW | 2023 |
| Brightside | Luminant Generation Company LLC | Solar | 51 MW | 2022 |
| Tynan | HEN Infrastructure, L.L.C. | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abeja Solar Farm | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Abeja Solar Farm LLC |
| Honeycomb Solar and Storage | Batteries | 76 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Honeycomb Solar Holdco, LLC |
| Honeycomb Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 75 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Honeycomb Solar Holdco, LLC |
The Bee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,476 | $48,442 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 493 | $75,646 | 1.10 |
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 Bee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bee County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Bee County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Bee County, San Patricio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bee County | 32,515 | ▼ 4.7% | 818 MW | 351 MW | — | — |
| Goliad County | 7,208 | ▲ 6.3% | 922 MW | 432 MW | — | — |
| Karnes County | 15,018 | ▼ 8.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Live Oak County | 11,929 | ▼ 12.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Refugio County | 6,657 | ▼ 8.0% | 220 MW | 394 MW | — | — |
| San Patricio County | 72,053 | ▲ 15.7% | 2,207 MW | 260 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Bee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bee County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Bee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas Central Company, Karnes Electric Coop Inc, San Patricio Electric Coop Inc.
What county is Beeville, TX in?
Beeville is in Bee County, Texas. About 13,086 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bee County?
5 operating plants with 818 MW of capacity. The largest is Helena Wind (268 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Bee County?
351 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 151 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Abeja Solar Farm LLC.
Are there data centers in Bee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Goliad County.
Is Bee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,476 jobs in 2025 against 8,893 in 2019 (-4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 134 to 493.
Does Bee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bee County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.