Cochran County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Morton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cochran County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cochran County is home to Morton. 120 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Wildcat Ranch Energy Storage, LLC (battery storage). Next door, Lea County, New Mexico, has 721 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 150 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Cochran County
Cochran County is home to Morton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bledsoe.
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 Cochran County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,559 | 2,546 | ▼ 0.5% | 228th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 687 | 685 | ▼ 0.3% | 163rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,906 | $60,331 | ▲ 44.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 120 MW | 80% of today's fleet | 135th of 149 by size |
Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Cochran 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. Employers here counted 685 jobs in 2025, down 0.3% from 2019. 2,546 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Cochran County
Utilities with service territory in Cochran 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% |
| Bailey County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,348 | 8.77¢ | 20% |
| Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,810 | 9.52¢ | 17% |
| Lea County Electric Coop, Inc - (NM) | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,989 | 9.82¢ | 70% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 150 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcat Ranch Wind Project | Wildcat Ranch Wind Project, LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcat Ranch Energy Storage | Batteries | 120 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Wildcat Ranch Energy Storage, LLC |
The Cochran County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 685 | $60,331 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 26 | $84,542 | 0.72 |
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 Cochran County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cochran County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Cochran County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Cochran County, Lea 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cochran County | 2,546 | ▼ 0.3% | 150 MW | 120 MW | — | — |
| Bailey County | 6,963 | ▼ 5.2% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Hockley County | 21,600 | ▼ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Lamb County | 12,579 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,476 MW | — | — | — |
| Lea County NM | 74,749 | ▲ 3.1% | 1,844 MW | 721 MW | — | — |
| Roosevelt County NM | 18,615 | ▼ 0.4% | 942 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Terry County | 11,720 | ▼ 15.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Yoakum County | 7,438 | ▼ 12.7% | 1,016 MW | 507 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Cochran County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cochran County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Cochran County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Bailey County Elec Coop Assn, Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc, Lea County Electric Coop, Inc - (NM). The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cochran County?
1 operating plant with 150 MW of capacity. The largest is Wildcat Ranch Wind Project (150 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Cochran County?
120 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Wildcat Ranch Energy Storage, LLC.
Are there data centers in Cochran County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cochran County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lea County.
Is Cochran County adding jobs?
Employers counted 685 jobs in 2025 against 687 in 2019 (-0.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Cochran County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cochran County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.