Burnet County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Marble Falls, Burnet and Granite Shoals
Burnet County is where a large share of Texas's next power plants are planned. Construction employs 1,903, up 43.0% since 2019, and construction is 2.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Burnet County is home to Marble Falls, Burnet, Granite Shoals and Bertram. 289 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Gransolar Texas Twenty Two LLC (battery storage). 121 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 17,073 jobs in 2025, up 14.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Burnet County
Burnet County is home to Marble Falls, Burnet, Granite Shoals and Bertram.
- Horseshoe Bay also extends into Llano County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Briggs.
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 Burnet County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 49,480 | 57,015 | ▲ 15.2% | 64th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,861 | 17,073 | ▲ 14.9% | 53rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,862 | $58,381 | ▲ 33.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,331 | 1,903 | ▲ 43.0% | 41st of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 289 MW | 266% of today's fleet | 88th of 149 by size |
57,015 people live here, up 15.2% since 2020. Its power plants have 109 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Burnet County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Burnet County
Utilities with service territory in Burnet 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 | — | — |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| City of Burnet - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 109 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Shoals | Lower Colorado River Authority | Hydro | 54 MW | 1951 |
| Marble Falls | Lower Colorado River Authority | Hydro | 40 MW | 1951 |
| Inks | Lower Colorado River Authority | Hydro | 15 MW | 1938 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backbone Creek BESS | Batteries | 121 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Backbone BESS LLC |
| RedSun PV and BESS | Batteries | 84 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Gransolar Texas Twenty Two LLC |
| RedSun PV and BESS | Solar Photovoltaic | 84 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Gransolar Texas Twenty Two LLC |
The Burnet County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,073 | $58,381 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,903 | $67,867 | 2.10 |
| Power and communication line construction | 21 | $75,974 | 0.76 |
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 Burnet County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Burnet County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Bell County.
Burnet County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Burnet County, Bell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnet County | 57,015 | ▲ 14.9% | 109 MW | 289 MW | — | — |
| Bell County | 402,248 | ▲ 8.1% | 2,817 MW | 903 MW | 4 | 1 |
| Blanco County | 13,581 | ▲ 20.3% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Lampasas County | 23,657 | ▲ 25.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Llano County | 23,353 | ▲ 19.4% | 630 MW | — | — | — |
| San Saba County | 5,787 | ▼ 16.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Travis County | 1,389,670 | ▲ 19.9% | 1,624 MW | 2 MW | 25 | — |
| Williamson County | 752,827 | ▲ 31.3% | 214 MW | — | 6 | — |
More of Texas
Burnet County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Burnet County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Burnet County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, City of Burnet - (TX).
What power plants are in Burnet County?
3 operating plants with 109 MW of capacity. The largest is Granite Shoals (54 MW, hydro).
How much new power is planned in Burnet County?
289 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 121 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Gransolar Texas Twenty Two LLC.
Are there data centers in Burnet County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Burnet County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Travis County.
Is Burnet County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,073 jobs in 2025 against 14,861 in 2019 (+14.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,331 to 1,903.
Does Burnet County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Burnet County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.