Brazoria County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pearland, Alvin and Lake Jackson
Brazoria County is a generation frontier for Texas. 3,841 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. 2,499 MW of new generation is planned here across 13 units, led by Nexus Renewables U.S. Inc. (battery storage), the 2nd largest pipeline among Texas's counties. 1,263 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 5,961 MW of capacity, 55% of it natural gas, the 3rd largest fleet in Texas. Brazoria County is home to most of Pearland (115,821 of its 129,930 residents), Alvin, Lake Jackson and Angleton. Construction employs 15,282, down 15.4% since 2019, and construction is 2.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Brazoria County
Brazoria County is home to most of Pearland (115,821 of its 129,930 residents), Alvin, Lake Jackson and Angleton.
- Pearland also extends into Harris County, Fort Bend County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Damon, East Columbia, Rosharon, Wild Peach Village.
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 Brazoria County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 373,490 | 419,080 | ▲ 12.2% | 14th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 116,571 | 124,808 | ▲ 7.1% | 107th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,755 | $70,467 | ▲ 19.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,065 | 15,282 | ▼ 15.4% | 145th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,300 | 1,684 | ▲ 29.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 615 | 683 | ▲ 11.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10 | 19 | ▲ 90.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 5.1% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3,841 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 75 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2,499 MW | 42% of today's fleet | 2nd of 149 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 1,684, up 29.5% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $117,031 a year. 75 MW has retired here since 2019, including Freeport Energy (natural gas, 75 MW, 2023). Employers here counted 124,808 jobs in 2025, up 7.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 419,080 people live here, up 12.2% since 2020. CenterPoint Energy is the largest utility serving Brazoria County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Brazoria County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3,766 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brazoria County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenterPoint Energy | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 2,485,470 | — | — |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,620 | 13.42¢ | 5% |
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 41
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 3,271 MW | 55% |
| Battery storage | 1,860 MW | 31% |
| Solar | 818 MW | 14% |
| Other technologies | 12 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeport Energy | Olin Blue Cube Operations | Natural gas | 603 MW | 1982 |
| Sweeny Cogen Facility | Sweeny Cogeneration LLC | Natural gas | 572 MW | 1997 |
| Oyster Creek Unit VIII | Dow Chemical Company-Oyster Creek VIII | Natural gas | 498 MW | 1994 |
| Brotman Power Station | ProEnergy Services | Natural gas | 484 MW | 2023 |
| Mark One Power Station | City of San Antonio - (TX) | Natural gas | 484 MW | 2022 |
| SAHARA BESS (SOHO BESS) | ESTX-PLD-HOUSTON2, LLC | Battery storage | 409 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 13
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Bayou Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 350 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Cottonwood Bayou Solar, LLC |
| Myrtle Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 313 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Myrtle Solar, LLC |
| Elio Energy LLC | Batteries | 300 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Elio Energy LLC |
| Rock N' Roll | Batteries | 250 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Lydian Energy |
| Bell Creek BESS LLC | Batteries | 201 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Nexus Renewables U.S. Inc. |
| Castor | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Engie North America |
| Willow Beach Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | AES Clean Energy |
| Brazos River BESS LLC | Batteries | 180 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Nexus Renewables U.S. Inc. |
| Bocanova Energy Storage II | Batteries | 150 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Bocanova Power II LLC |
| Brazoria Solar I | Solar Photovoltaic | 125 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Brazoria Solar i, LLC |
| Brazoria Solar I | Solar Photovoltaic | 125 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Brazoria Solar i, LLC |
| Bodkin BESS | Batteries | 75 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Bodkin BESS LLC |
| Second Division Solar | Batteries | 30 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeport Energy | Natural gas | 75 MW | 2023 |
The Brazoria County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 124,808 | $70,467 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 15,282 | $96,931 | 2.31 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,684 | $117,031 | 1.87 |
| Power and communication line construction | 683 | $136,914 | 3.39 |
| Electric utilities | 225 | $154,629 | 0.67 |
| Data processing and hosting | 19 | $99,908 | 0.05 |
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 Brazoria County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brazoria County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Brazoria County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Brazoria County, Harris 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazoria County | 419,080 | ▲ 7.1% | 5,961 MW | 2,499 MW | — | — |
| Fort Bend County | 975,191 | ▲ 33.0% | 7,211 MW | 360 MW | — | — |
| Galveston County | 372,207 | ▲ 13.8% | 3,048 MW | 750 MW | — | — |
| Harris County | 5,045,026 | ▲ 4.6% | 11,060 MW | 967 MW | 36 | — |
| Matagorda County | 36,463 | ▲ 6.6% | 3,134 MW | 1,125 MW | — | — |
| Wharton County | 42,060 | ▼ 0.8% | 3,912 MW | 2,229 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Brazoria County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brazoria County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Brazoria County in the EIA-861 2024 report: CenterPoint Energy, Texas-New Mexico Power Co, Jackson Electric Coop, Inc - (TX).
What county is Pearland, TX in?
Most of Pearland is in Brazoria County: 115,821 of its 129,930 residents, or 89%. The rest of the city lies in Harris County, Fort Bend County.
What county is Alvin, TX in?
Alvin is in Brazoria County, Texas. About 30,115 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Lake Jackson, TX in?
Lake Jackson is in Brazoria County, Texas. About 27,803 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Brazoria County?
41 operating plants with 5,961 MW of capacity. The largest is Freeport Energy (603 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Brazoria County?
2,499 MW across 13 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 1,263 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Nexus Renewables U.S. Inc..
Are there data centers in Brazoria County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brazoria County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harris County.
Is Brazoria County adding jobs?
Employers counted 124,808 jobs in 2025 against 116,571 in 2019 (+7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 18,065 to 15,282.
Does Brazoria County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brazoria County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.