Brown County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brownwood, Early and Bangs
Brown County is where a large share of Texas's next power plants are planned. Brown County is home to Brownwood, Early and Bangs. 479 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Red River Clean Energy (battery storage). 293 MW of it is already under construction or built. 480 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 116, up 9.4% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $62,991 a year. Its power plants have 480 MW of capacity, 67% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Brown County
Brown County is home to Brownwood, Early and Bangs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Brownwood, May, Thunderbird Bay, Zephyr.
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 Brown County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 38,056 | 38,711 | ▲ 1.7% | 85th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,483 | 15,574 | ▲ 0.6% | 158th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,752 | $50,356 | ▲ 29.9% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 106 | 116 | ▲ 9.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 480 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 479 MW | 100% of today's fleet | 56th of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Brown County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. Employers here counted 15,574 jobs in 2025, up 0.6% from 2019. 38,711 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Brown County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +480 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brown 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 | — | — |
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| Comanche County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,359 | 15.52¢ | 75% |
| Coleman County Elec 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 320 MW | 67% |
| Battery storage | 160 MW | 33% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP Radian, LLC | Intersect USA, LLC | Solar | 480 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zephyr Storage | Batteries | 186 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | RIC Development, LLC |
| Chisme Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 147 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Red River Clean Energy |
| Chisme Solar and Storage | Batteries | 146 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Red River Clean Energy |
The Brown County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,574 | $50,356 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 116 | $62,991 | 1.03 |
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 Brown County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brown County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Brown County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Brown County, Callahan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 38,711 | ▲ 0.6% | 480 MW | 479 MW | — | — |
| Callahan County | 14,491 | ▲ 18.6% | 676 MW | 415 MW | — | — |
| Coleman County | 7,915 | ▲ 8.6% | — | 396 MW | — | — |
| Comanche County | 14,432 | ▲ 15.7% | 200 MW | 151 MW | — | — |
| Eastland County | 18,143 | ▼ 26.0% | 1,134 MW | — | — | — |
| McCulloch County | 7,472 | ▼ 16.1% | 340 MW | 90 MW | — | — |
| Mills County | 4,580 | ▲ 6.6% | 849 MW | — | — | — |
| San Saba County | 5,787 | ▼ 16.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Brown County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brown County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Brown County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, AEP Texas North Company, Comanche County Elec Coop Assn, Coleman County Elec Coop, Inc.
What county is Brownwood, TX in?
Brownwood is in Brown County, Texas. About 18,635 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Brown County?
1 operating plant with 480 MW of capacity. The largest is IP Radian, LLC (480 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Brown County?
479 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 293 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Red River Clean Energy.
Are there data centers in Brown County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brown County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Callahan County.
Is Brown County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,574 jobs in 2025 against 15,483 in 2019 (+0.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Brown County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brown County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.