Dallas County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dallas, Irving and Garland
Dallas County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 90 data centers in Dallas County, 20% of Texas's total. Dallas County is home to most of Dallas (1,245,355 of its 1,329,491 residents), Irving, Garland and Mesquite. 12 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Cedar Hill ESS Assets, LLC (battery storage). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,070 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas. Construction employs 103,015, up 10.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Dallas County
Dallas County is home to most of Dallas (1,245,355 of its 1,329,491 residents), Irving, Garland and Mesquite.
And 5 smaller places.
- Dallas also extends into Collin County, Denton County.
- Grand Prairie also extends into Tarrant County.
- Richardson also extends into Collin County.
- Rowlett also extends into Rockwall County.
- Carrollton also extends into Denton County.
- Cedar Hill also extends into Ellis County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bear Creek Ranch.
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 Dallas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,610,802 | 2,661,397 | ▲ 1.9% | 2nd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,743,903 | 1,829,643 | ▲ 4.9% | 122nd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $71,047 | $92,543 | ▲ 30.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 92,924 | 103,015 | ▲ 10.9% | 94th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,552 | 16,722 | ▲ 23.4% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,245 | 2,308 | ▼ 28.9% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,311 | 3,401 | ▲ 2.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,186 | 6,891 | ▲ 11.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 274 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 12 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 145th of 149 by size |
Electrical contractors employ 16,722, up 23.4% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $92,052 a year. 274 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. 6 MW has retired here since 2019, including Skyline Gas Recovery (other technologies, 6 MW, 2019). Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,829,643 jobs in 2025, up 4.9% from 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Dallas County, one of 6 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 2,661,397 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020, 2nd of 254 Texas counties by population.
Who powers Dallas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +267 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dallas 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 | — | — |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 84,006 | 11.51¢ | 15% |
| Trinity Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 79,954 | 11.26¢ | 14% |
| City of Garland - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 69,421 | 13.48¢ | 40% |
| HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,883 | 14.91¢ | 28% |
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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,788 MW | 86% |
| Battery storage | 260 MW | 13% |
| Petroleum | 11 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 0% |
| Other technologies | 4 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Hubbard | Luminant Generation Company LLC | Natural gas | 928 MW | 1970 |
| Mountain Creek | Mountain Creek Power, LLC | Natural gas | 852 MW | 1956 |
| Anole Energy Storage | Anole Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 240 MW | 2025 |
| State Farm Insur Support Center Central | State Farm Mutual Auto Ins Co | Petroleum | 11 MW | 1998 |
| SMT Dallas BESS | SMT Dallas LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2025 |
| SMT Dallas III BESS | SMT Dallas III LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hill ESS | Batteries | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2030 | Cedar Hill ESS Assets, LLC |
| TX Dallas 7750 Dynasty Drive | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Catalyze Dallas 7750 Dynasty Drive Microgrid, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skyline Gas Recovery | Other technologies | 6 MW | 2019 |
The Dallas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,829,643 | $92,543 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 103,015 | $96,039 | 1.06 |
| Electrical contractors | 16,722 | $92,052 | 1.27 |
| Power and communication line construction | 2,308 | $110,809 | 0.78 |
| Electric utilities | 3,401 | $213,841 | 0.69 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6,891 | $169,460 | 1.21 |
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 Dallas County
90 data centers in Dallas County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Dallas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dallas County, Collin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas County | 2,661,397 | ▲ 4.9% | 2,070 MW | 12 MW | 90 | — |
| Collin County | 1,297,179 | ▲ 30.5% | 590 MW | 400 MW | 30 | — |
| Denton County | 1,069,346 | ▲ 22.8% | 1,110 MW | 200 MW | 9 | — |
| Ellis County | 240,867 | ▲ 22.8% | 2,517 MW | 574 MW | 16 | — |
| Kaufman County | 209,235 | ▲ 41.3% | 2,196 MW | 851 MW | 2 | — |
| Rockwall County | 140,738 | ▲ 34.2% | 125 MW | — | — | — |
| Tarrant County | 2,248,466 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,484 MW | — | 17 | — |
More of Texas
Dallas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dallas County, Texas?
6 utilities have service territory in Dallas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Texas-New Mexico Power Co, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (TX), Trinity Valley Elec Coop Inc.
What county is Dallas, TX in?
Most of Dallas is in Dallas County: 1,245,355 of its 1,329,491 residents, or 94%. The rest of the city lies in Collin County, Denton County.
What county is Irving, TX in?
Irving is in Dallas County, Texas. About 257,076 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Garland, TX in?
Garland is in Dallas County, Texas. About 249,458 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dallas County?
17 operating plants with 2,070 MW of capacity. The largest is Lake Hubbard (928 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Dallas County?
12 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cedar Hill ESS Assets, LLC.
Are there data centers in Dallas County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 90 data centers in Dallas County.
Is Dallas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,829,643 jobs in 2025 against 1,743,903 in 2019 (+4.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 92,924 to 103,015.
Does Dallas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dallas County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.