Bell County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Killeen, Temple and Harker Heights
Bell County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Bell County. Construction employs 7,114, up 42.3% since 2019. Bell County is home to Killeen, Temple, Harker Heights and Belton. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Bell County (Murray Industries construction moratorium) data center moratorium”. 903 MW of new generation is planned here across 5 units, led by Chillingham Solar LLC (solar). 755 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Bell County
Bell County is home to Killeen, Temple, Harker Heights and Belton.
- Bartlett also extends into Williamson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Hood, Pendleton.
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 Bell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 372,407 | 402,248 | ▲ 8.0% | 15th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 120,784 | 130,527 | ▲ 8.1% | 100th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,842 | $64,742 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,000 | 7,114 | ▲ 42.3% | 42nd of 155 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 194 | 210 | ▲ 8.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 176 | 66 | ▼ 62.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 5.2% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,194 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 903 MW | 32% of today's fleet | 24th of 149 by size |
1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Meta Temple Data Center. 1,194 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 2,817 MW of capacity, 58% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 130,527 jobs in 2025, up 8.1% from 2019. 402,248 people live here, up 8.0% since 2020. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Bell County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Bell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,194 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bell County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 3,477,215 | — | — |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| Heart of Texas Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,722 | 12.62¢ | 14% |
| Bartlett Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,527 | 16.09¢ | 24% |
| City of Bartlett - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,624 MW | 58% |
| Solar | 781 MW | 28% |
| Battery storage | 412 MW | 15% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple Power Station | Temple Generation Holdings LLC | Natural gas | 1,606 MW | 2014 |
| Five Wells Solar Center - Hybrid | Five Wells Solar Center, LLC | Battery storage | 618 MW | 2023 |
| Stillhouse Solar | Stillhouse Solar LLC | Solar | 210 MW | 2025 |
| Big Elm Solar | Big Elm Solar, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2025 |
| Chillingham Storage | Chillingham Storage LLC | Battery storage | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Phantom Solar | Phantom Solar, LLC | Solar | 15 MW | 2017 |
Planned generation 5
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chillingham Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 350 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Chillingham Solar LLC |
| Limewood Bell Renewables Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 204 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Limewood Bell Renewables LLC |
| Cosper Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 148 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Gransolar Texas Twenty LLC |
| Hermes Solar PV | Solar Photovoltaic | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Bell 1 Solar, LLC |
| Hermes Storage BESS | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Bell 1 Storage, LLC |
The Bell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 130,527 | $64,742 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,114 | $85,487 | 1.03 |
| Electric utilities | 210 | $130,247 | 0.59 |
| Data processing and hosting | 66 | $124,707 | 0.16 |
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 Bell County
4 data centers in Bell County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County (Murray Industries construction moratorium) data center moratorium | In force | 2026-07 |
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meta Temple Data Center | delayed | — |
Bell County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Bell County, Milam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell County | 402,248 | ▲ 8.1% | 2,817 MW | 903 MW | 4 | 1 |
| Burnet County | 57,015 | ▲ 14.9% | 109 MW | 289 MW | — | — |
| Coryell County | 85,592 | ▼ 5.2% | 56 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Falls County | 17,869 | ▼ 4.7% | 941 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Lampasas County | 23,657 | ▲ 25.1% | — | — | — | — |
| McLennan County | 272,020 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,588 MW | 529 MW | 3 | — |
| Milam County | 26,258 | ▲ 17.8% | 990 MW | 1,364 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Williamson County | 752,827 | ▲ 31.3% | 214 MW | — | 6 | — |
More of Texas
Bell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bell County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Bell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, Heart of Texas Electric Coop, Bartlett Electric Coop, Inc.
What county is Killeen, TX in?
Killeen is in Bell County, Texas. About 161,883 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Temple, TX in?
Temple is in Bell County, Texas. About 98,412 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Harker Heights, TX in?
Harker Heights is in Bell County, Texas. About 35,195 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bell County?
12 operating plants with 2,817 MW of capacity. The largest is Temple Power Station (1,606 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Bell County?
903 MW across 5 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 755 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Chillingham Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Bell County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Bell County.
Is Bell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 130,527 jobs in 2025 against 120,784 in 2019 (+8.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,000 to 7,114.
Does Bell County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Bell County, 1 in force.