Brooks County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Falfurrias
Brooks 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. Brooks County is home to Falfurrias. Employers here counted 2,173 jobs in 2025, down 21.9% from 2019. Next door, Starr County has 880 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 30 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Brooks County
Brooks County is home to Falfurrias.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Airport Road Addition, Cantu Addition, Encino, Flowella.
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 Brooks County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,095 | 6,579 | ▼ 7.3% | 189th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,781 | 2,173 | ▼ 21.9% | 247th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,244 | $66,254 | ▲ 53.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 30 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 30 MW of capacity, 66% of it battery storage. AEP Texas Central Company is the largest utility serving Brooks County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 6,579 people live here, down 7.3% since 2020.
Who powers Brooks County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +30 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brooks County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas Central Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 784,148 | — | — |
| Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 126,402 | 10.20¢ | 10% |
| Nueces Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 46,409 | 10.68¢ | 17% |
| Medina Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,205 | 12.10¢ | 20% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 66% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 34% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexis Solar, LLC | Sol Systems | Solar | 10 MW | 2019 |
| Falfurrias BESS | HEN Infrastructure, L.L.C. | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2024 |
| Regis Falfurrias | Regis Falfurrias LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2024 |
The Brooks County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,173 | $66,254 | 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 Brooks County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brooks County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Brooks County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Brooks County, Hidalgo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooks County | 6,579 | ▼ 21.9% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Duval County | 9,402 | ▲ 4.1% | — | 300 MW | — | — |
| Hidalgo County | 921,549 | ▲ 11.4% | 3,426 MW | 160 MW | 8 | — |
| Jim Hogg County | 4,555 | ▼ 0.4% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Jim Wells County | 38,804 | ▼ 11.9% | 142 MW | — | — | — |
| Kenedy County | 319 | ▼ 55.1% | 1,075 MW | — | — | — |
| Kleberg County | 30,315 | ▲ 1.6% | — | 220 MW | — | — |
| Starr County | 66,319 | ▼ 1.4% | 1,166 MW | 880 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Brooks County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brooks County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Brooks County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas Central Company, Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc, Nueces Electric Cooperative, Medina Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Brooks County?
3 operating plants with 30 MW of capacity. The largest is Alexis Solar, LLC (10 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Brooks County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brooks County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Starr County.
Is Brooks County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,173 jobs in 2025 against 2,781 in 2019 (-21.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Brooks County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brooks County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.