Briscoe County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Briscoe County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Briscoe County. Briscoe County is home to Silverton. Employers here counted 373 jobs in 2025, up 7.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 350 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Briscoe County
Briscoe County is home to Silverton.
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 Briscoe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,420 | 1,474 | ▲ 3.8% | 238th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 348 | 373 | ▲ 7.2% | 104th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,043 | $47,638 | ▲ 48.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Briscoe County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 1,474 people live here, up 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Briscoe County
Utilities with service territory in Briscoe County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| Lighthouse Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,878 | 14.59¢ | 72% |
| Swisher Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 350 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longhorn Wind | Boralex US Operations LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2015 |
| Briscoe Wind Farm | Briscoe Wind Farm, LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2015 |
The Briscoe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 373 | $47,638 | 1.00 |
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 Briscoe County
1 data center in Briscoe County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Briscoe County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Briscoe County, Swisher 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briscoe County | 1,474 | ▲ 7.2% | 350 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Armstrong County | 1,843 | ▲ 85.1% | 266 MW | 266 MW | 1 | — |
| Donley County | 3,213 | ▲ 1.0% | 174 MW | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 4,881 | ▼ 2.4% | 761 MW | — | — | — |
| Hall County | 2,737 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Motley County | 1,043 | ▼ 5.9% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
| Swisher County | 6,703 | ▼ 4.7% | 1,100 MW | 601 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Briscoe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Briscoe County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Briscoe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, AEP Texas North Company, Lighthouse Electric Coop, Inc, Swisher Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Briscoe County?
2 operating plants with 350 MW of capacity. The largest is Longhorn Wind (200 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Briscoe County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Briscoe County.
Is Briscoe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 373 jobs in 2025 against 348 in 2019 (+7.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Briscoe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Briscoe County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.