Borden County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gail
Borden County is a generation frontier for Texas. Employers here counted 345 jobs in 2025, up 33.7% from 2019. Borden County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Gail, are unincorporated and governed by the county. 945 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Red River Clean Energy (solar). 839 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1,479 MW of capacity, 54% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Borden County
Borden County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Gail, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Gail.
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 Borden County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 643 | 567 | ▼ 11.8% | 250th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 258 | 345 | ▲ 33.7% | 15th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,767 | $83,002 | ▲ 98.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 839 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 945 MW | 64% of today's fleet | 23rd of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. 567 people live here, down 11.8% since 2020. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Borden County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Borden County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +839 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Borden 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 | — | — |
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| Big Country Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,449 | 13.72¢ | 72% |
| Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,021 | 8.99¢ | 42% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 798 MW | 54% |
| Solar | 531 MW | 36% |
| Battery storage | 150 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephens Ranch Wind Energy LLC | Stephens Ranch Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 376 MW | 2014 |
| Juno Solar Project | SE Juno, LLC | Solar | 306 MW | 2021 |
| ENGIE Long Draw Solar LLC | Engie North America | Solar | 225 MW | 2020 |
| Bull Creek Wind | Bull Creek Wind LLC | Wind | 180 MW | 2008 |
| Gopher Creek Wind Farm | Fluvanna Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 158 MW | 2019 |
| Borden County BESS | Borden County Battery Energy Storage System LLC | Battery storage | 150 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Belt | Batteries | 400 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Iron Belt Energy Storage Project, LLC |
| Uva Creek Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 301 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Red River Clean Energy |
| Gail Mountain Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 244 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Red River Clean Energy |
The Borden County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 345 | $83,002 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 39 | $265,958 | 2.13 |
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 Borden County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Borden County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Borden County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Borden County, Scurry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borden County | 567 | ▲ 33.7% | 1,479 MW | 945 MW | — | — |
| Dawson County | 11,776 | ▼ 5.8% | 464 MW | — | — | — |
| Garza County | 4,510 | ▼ 27.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 30,504 | ▼ 12.5% | 657 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Lynn County | 6,017 | ▼ 2.3% | 700 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Martin County | 5,284 | ▼ 0.6% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 8,947 | ▲ 10.1% | 688 MW | 276 MW | — | — |
| Scurry County | 16,162 | ▲ 2.7% | 2,639 MW | 190 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Borden County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Borden County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Borden County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Southwestern Public Service Co, Big Country Electric Coop, Inc, Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Borden County?
7 operating plants with 1,479 MW of capacity. The largest is Stephens Ranch Wind Energy LLC (376 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Borden County?
945 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Red River Clean Energy.
Are there data centers in Borden County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Borden County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lynn County.
Is Borden County adding jobs?
Employers counted 345 jobs in 2025 against 258 in 2019 (+33.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Borden County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Borden County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.