Castro County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dimmitt
Castro County is a generation frontier for Texas. Castro County is home to Dimmitt and Hart. 440 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Invenergy Services LLC (wind). 152 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 2,927 jobs in 2025, up 14.2% from 2019. 166 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 442 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Castro County
Castro County is home to Dimmitt and Hart.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Summerfield.
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 Castro County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,324 | 7,295 | ▼ 0.4% | 183rd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,562 | 2,927 | ▲ 14.2% | 55th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,842 | $48,236 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 166 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 440 MW | 99% of today's fleet | 63rd of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Castro County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 7,295 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Castro County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +166 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Castro 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% |
| Deaf Smith Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,333 | 8.83¢ | 19% |
| Bailey County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,348 | 8.77¢ | 20% |
| Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,810 | 9.52¢ | 17% |
| 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 | 442 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Wind Farm LLC | Southern Power Co | Wind | 276 MW | 2017 |
| Hart Wind | Hart Wind Project, LLC | Wind | 166 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Changing Winds | Onshore Wind Turbine | 288 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Invenergy Services LLC |
| Easter | Onshore Wind Turbine | 152 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Enbridge Wind (Easter), LLC |
The Castro County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,927 | $48,236 | 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 Castro County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Castro County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Castro County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Castro County, Deaf Smith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castro County | 7,295 | ▲ 14.2% | 442 MW | 440 MW | — | — |
| Deaf Smith County | 18,626 | ▲ 6.4% | 710 MW | 1,686 MW | — | — |
| Hale County | 31,819 | ▼ 7.6% | 1,445 MW | 200 MW | 1 | — |
| Lamb County | 12,579 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,476 MW | — | — | — |
| Parmer County | 9,678 | ▲ 11.1% | 495 MW | — | — | — |
| Randall County | 152,351 | ▲ 13.9% | 166 MW | — | — | — |
| Swisher County | 6,703 | ▼ 4.7% | 1,100 MW | 601 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Castro County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Castro County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Castro County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Deaf Smith Electric Coop, Inc, Bailey County Elec Coop Assn, Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Castro County?
2 operating plants with 442 MW of capacity. The largest is Bethel Wind Farm LLC (276 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Castro County?
440 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 152 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Invenergy Services LLC.
Are there data centers in Castro County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Castro County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Deaf Smith County.
Is Castro County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,927 jobs in 2025 against 2,562 in 2019 (+14.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Castro County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Castro County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.