Crosby County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ralls and Crosbyton
No data center or power plant project is on record in Crosby County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Crosby County is home to Ralls, Crosbyton and Lorenzo. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Cone Renewable Energy Project, LLC (wind). Employers here counted 1,060 jobs in 2025, down 18.3% from 2019. Next door, Dickens County has 2 data centers and 204 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 367 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Crosby County
Crosby County is home to Ralls, Crosbyton and Lorenzo.
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 Crosby County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,096 | 4,852 | ▼ 4.8% | 201st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,297 | 1,060 | ▼ 18.3% | 245th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,051 | $45,205 | ▲ 15.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 54% of today's fleet | 106th of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Crosby County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 4,852 people live here, down 4.8% since 2020.
Who powers Crosby County
Utilities with service territory in Crosby 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% |
| South Plains Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,173 | 10.35¢ | 23% |
| Lighthouse Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,878 | 14.59¢ | 72% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 367 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Wind Energy Center | Southern Power Co | Wind | 257 MW | 2016 |
| Lorenzo Wind | Lorenzo Wind, LLC | Wind | 80 MW | 2018 |
| Pleasant Hill Wind Energy Project | Pleasant Hill Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 20 MW | 2015 |
| Ralls Wind Farm | Ralls Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 10 MW | 2011 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cone Renewable Energy Project, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | 150 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Cone Renewable Energy Project, LLC |
| Lorenzo Energy Storage | Batteries | 50 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Lorenzo Energy Storage, LLC |
The Crosby County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,060 | $45,205 | 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 Crosby County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Crosby County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Crosby County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Crosby County, Hale 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crosby County | 4,852 | ▼ 18.3% | 367 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Dickens County | 1,692 | ▲ 16.5% | 450 MW | 204 MW | 2 | — |
| Floyd County | 4,881 | ▼ 2.4% | 761 MW | — | — | — |
| Garza County | 4,510 | ▼ 27.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Hale County | 31,819 | ▼ 7.6% | 1,445 MW | 200 MW | 1 | — |
| Kent County | 674 | ▲ 33.8% | 452 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
| Lubbock County | 328,906 | ▲ 8.2% | 874 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lynn County | 6,017 | ▼ 2.3% | 700 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Motley County | 1,043 | ▼ 5.9% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Crosby County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Crosby County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Crosby County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, South Plains Electric Coop Inc, Lighthouse Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Crosby County?
4 operating plants with 367 MW of capacity. The largest is Wake Wind Energy Center (257 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Crosby County?
200 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cone Renewable Energy Project, LLC.
Are there data centers in Crosby County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Crosby County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dickens County.
Is Crosby County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,060 jobs in 2025 against 1,297 in 2019 (-18.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Crosby County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Crosby County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.