Brewster County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alpine
Brewster County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Construction employs 316, up 49.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Brewster County is home to Alpine. Next door, Pecos County has 3 data centers and 1,098 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 4,529 jobs in 2025, up 10.1% from 2019. 73 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Brewster County
Brewster County is home to Alpine.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Marathon, Study Butte, Terlingua.
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 Brewster County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,561 | 9,458 | ▼ 1.1% | 168th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,115 | 4,529 | ▲ 10.1% | 85th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,642 | $55,520 | ▲ 36.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 211 | 316 | ▲ 49.8% | 34th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 73 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 123 MW of capacity, 59% of it battery storage. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. AEP Texas North Company is the largest utility serving Brewster County, one of 2 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 9,458 people live here, down 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Brewster County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +73 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brewster County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| Rio Grande Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,298 | 18.51¢ | 23% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 73 MW | 59% |
| Solar | 50 MW | 41% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| House Mountain | House Mountain | Battery storage | 73 MW | 2024 |
| SolaireHolman Solar Project | SolaireHolman 1, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2017 |
The Brewster County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,529 | $55,520 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 316 | $87,645 | 1.32 |
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 Brewster County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brewster County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Brewster County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Brewster County, Pecos 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brewster County | 9,458 | ▲ 10.1% | 123 MW | — | — | — |
| Jeff Davis County | 1,711 | ▼ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Pecos County | 14,560 | ▼ 5.0% | 3,731 MW | 1,098 MW | 3 | — |
| Presidio County | 5,433 | ▼ 5.7% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Terrell County | 702 | ▼ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Brewster County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brewster County, Texas?
2 utilities have service territory in Brewster County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas North Company, Rio Grande Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Brewster County?
2 operating plants with 123 MW of capacity. The largest is House Mountain (73 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Brewster County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brewster County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pecos County.
Is Brewster County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,529 jobs in 2025 against 4,115 in 2019 (+10.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 211 to 316.
Does Brewster County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brewster County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.