Bosque County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clifton, Meridian and Valley Mills
The data center boom is not abstract in Bosque County: it is on the ground here. Construction employs 387, up 55.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Bosque County. Bosque County is home to Clifton, Meridian, most of Valley Mills (1,266 of its 1,293 residents) and Walnut Springs. 217 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Lake Whitney Solar, LLC (solar). 471 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Bosque County
Bosque County is home to Clifton, Meridian, most of Valley Mills (1,266 of its 1,293 residents) and Walnut Springs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kopperl, Laguna Park, Mosheim.
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 Bosque County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,255 | 18,918 | ▲ 3.6% | 127th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,730 | 3,789 | ▲ 1.6% | 146th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,632 | $58,092 | ▲ 39.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 249 | 387 | ▲ 55.4% | 26th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.6% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 471 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 217 MW | 16% of today's fleet | 100th of 149 by size |
Its power plants have 1,340 MW of capacity, 60% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 3,789 jobs in 2025, up 1.6% from 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Bosque County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 18,918 people live here, up 3.6% since 2020.
Who powers Bosque County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +471 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bosque 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 | — | — |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| United Electric Coop Service Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 88,324 | 13.00¢ | 20% |
| Heart of Texas Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,722 | 12.62¢ | 14% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 807 MW | 60% |
| Solar | 491 MW | 37% |
| Hydro | 42 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thad Hill Energy Center | Thad Hill Energy Center, LLC | Natural gas | 807 MW | 2000 |
| BT Hickerson Solar, LLC | BT Hickerson Solar, LLC | Solar | 310 MW | 2025 |
| Markum Solar Farm | Markum Solar Farm, LLC | Solar | 161 MW | 2024 |
| Whitney | USACE-Fort Worth District | Hydro | 42 MW | 1953 |
| TPE Whitney Solar, LLC | Cardinal Renewables | Solar | 10 MW | 2017 |
| Walnut Springs Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2016 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Whitney Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Lake Whitney Solar, LLC |
| Symank Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 67 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC |
The Bosque County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,789 | $58,092 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 387 | $97,048 | 1.93 |
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 Bosque County
1 data center in Bosque County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Bosque County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Bosque County, Hill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bosque County | 18,918 | ▲ 1.6% | 1,340 MW | 217 MW | 1 | — |
| Coryell County | 85,592 | ▼ 5.2% | 56 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Erath County | 43,911 | ▲ 14.0% | 163 MW | 204 MW | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 8,680 | ▲ 7.6% | 100 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Hill County | 39,503 | ▲ 18.1% | 1,543 MW | 1,820 MW | — | 2 |
| Johnson County | 218,048 | ▲ 26.0% | 283 MW | — | — | — |
| McLennan County | 272,020 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,588 MW | 529 MW | 3 | — |
| Somervell County | 10,261 | ▲ 5.4% | 2,430 MW | 170 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Bosque County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bosque County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Bosque County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Texas-New Mexico Power Co, United Electric Coop Service Inc - (TX), Heart of Texas Electric Coop.
What power plants are in Bosque County?
7 operating plants with 1,340 MW of capacity. The largest is Thad Hill Energy Center (807 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Bosque County?
217 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Lake Whitney Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Bosque County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Bosque County.
Is Bosque County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,789 jobs in 2025 against 3,730 in 2019 (+1.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 249 to 387.
Does Bosque County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bosque County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.