Bexar County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to San Antonio and Converse, and the communities of Timberwood Park
Bexar County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 51 data centers in Bexar County, 11% of Texas's total. Owners plan to retire 1,458 MW more by 2035, led by J K Spruce in 2028. Its power plants have 4,969 MW of capacity, 57% of it natural gas, the 4th largest fleet in Texas. Bexar County is home to San Antonio, Converse, Universal City and Live Oak, plus the unincorporated community of Timberwood Park. 750 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Padua 3 (battery storage). 200 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Bexar County
Bexar County is home to San Antonio, Converse, Universal City and Live Oak, plus the unincorporated community of Timberwood Park.
And 2 smaller places.
- Selma also extends into Guadalupe County, Comal County.
- Fair Oaks Ranch also extends into Kendall County, Comal County.
- Schertz also extends into Guadalupe County, Comal County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Timberwood Park, Cross Mountain, Lackland AFB, Macdona, Randolph AFB, Scenic Oaks.
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 Bexar County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,015,492 | 2,160,088 | ▲ 7.2% | 4th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 878,251 | 937,109 | ▲ 6.7% | 109th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,560 | $67,846 | ▲ 29.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41,104 | 50,022 | ▲ 21.7% | 72nd of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,130 | 8,646 | ▲ 41.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 728 | 1,386 | ▲ 90.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,223 | 3,217 | ▼ 48.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 546 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 952 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 750 MW | 15% of today's fleet | 36th of 149 by size |
952 MW has retired here since 2019, including J T Deely (coal, 932 MW, 2023). Electrical contractors employ 8,646, up 41.0% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $75,621 a year. Construction employs 50,022, up 21.7% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 546 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Employers here counted 937,109 jobs in 2025, up 6.7% from 2019. City of San Antonio - (TX) is the largest utility serving Bexar County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.43¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 2,160,088 people live here, up 7.2% since 2020, 4th of 254 Texas counties by population.
Who powers Bexar County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −407 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bexar 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% |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 92,189 | 12.49¢ | 13% |
| Bandera Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,346 | 12.40¢ | 27% |
| Karnes Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,222 | 9.90¢ | 43% |
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 26
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,844 MW | 57% |
| Coal | 1,488 MW | 30% |
| Battery storage | 530 MW | 11% |
| Solar | 103 MW | 2% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| J K Spruce | City of San Antonio - (TX) | Coal | 1,488 MW | 1992 |
| V H Braunig | City of San Antonio - (TX) | Natural gas | 1,138 MW | 1966 |
| O W Sommers | City of San Antonio - (TX) | Natural gas | 892 MW | 1972 |
| Arthur Von Rosenberg | City of San Antonio - (TX) | Natural gas | 575 MW | 2000 |
| Leon Creek | City of San Antonio - (TX) | Natural gas | 230 MW | 2004 |
| Ferdinand Energy Center | Ferdinand Grid, LLC | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padua 3 | Batteries | 200 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Padua 3 |
| Alamo City ESS | Batteries | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Alamo City ESS LLC |
| Rush ESS | Batteries | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2031 | Rush ESS LLC |
| El Patrimonio | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Heritage Solar LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| J T Deely | Coal | 932 MW | 2023 |
| Tessman Road | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2021 |
| Covel Gardens Gas Recovery | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2023 |
| OCI Alamo Solar I Hybrid | Battery storage | 1 MW | 2022 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| J K Spruce | Coal | 566 MW | 2028 |
| O W Sommers | Natural gas | 446 MW | 2027 |
| O W Sommers | Natural gas | 446 MW | 2029 |
The Bexar County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 937,109 | $67,846 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 50,022 | $81,801 | 1.01 |
| Electrical contractors | 8,646 | $75,621 | 1.28 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,386 | $77,318 | 0.92 |
| Data processing and hosting | 3,217 | $92,316 | 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 Bexar County
51 data centers in Bexar County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Bexar County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Bexar County, Wilson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexar County | 2,160,088 | ▲ 6.7% | 4,969 MW | 750 MW | 51 | — |
| Atascosa County | 53,590 | ▲ 2.2% | 420 MW | 106 MW | — | — |
| Bandera County | 22,876 | ▲ 14.0% | 20 MW | 133 MW | — | — |
| Comal County | 209,166 | ▲ 30.0% | 217 MW | — | — | — |
| Guadalupe County | 201,111 | ▲ 20.0% | 2,651 MW | — | — | — |
| Kendall County | 53,289 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Medina County | 56,881 | ▲ 12.3% | — | 180 MW | 3 | — |
| Wilson County | 56,139 | ▲ 7.2% | 7 MW | 1,600 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Bexar County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bexar County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Bexar County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of San Antonio - (TX), Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc, Bandera Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, City of San Antonio - (TX), charged residential customers 12.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is San Antonio, TX in?
San Antonio is in Bexar County, Texas. About 1,548,411 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Converse, TX in?
Converse is in Bexar County, Texas. About 32,481 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Universal City, TX in?
Universal City is in Bexar County, Texas. About 20,399 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bexar County?
26 operating plants with 4,969 MW of capacity. The largest is J K Spruce (1,488 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Bexar County?
750 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 200 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Padua 3.
Are there data centers in Bexar County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 51 data centers in Bexar County.
Is Bexar County adding jobs?
Employers counted 937,109 jobs in 2025 against 878,251 in 2019 (+6.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 41,104 to 50,022.
Does Bexar County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bexar County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.