Dawson County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lamesa
Dawson County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Dawson County is home to Lamesa. Construction employs 125, up 31.6% since 2019. Next door, Borden County has 945 MW of planned generation. 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Employers here counted 4,115 jobs in 2025, down 5.8% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Dawson County
Dawson County is home to Lamesa.
- Ackerly also extends into Martin County.
- O'Donnell also extends into Lynn County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Welch.
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 Dawson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,474 | 11,776 | ▼ 5.6% | 157th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,369 | 4,115 | ▼ 5.8% | 207th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,594 | $55,447 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 95 | 125 | ▲ 31.6% | 56th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 464 MW of capacity, 46% of it wind. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Dawson County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 11,776 people live here, down 5.6% since 2020.
Who powers Dawson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dawson 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 | — | — |
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,021 | 8.99¢ | 42% |
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 | 211 MW | 46% |
| Solar | 152 MW | 33% |
| Battery storage | 100 MW | 22% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesquite Creek Wind | Deriva Energy | Wind | 211 MW | 2015 |
| Lamesa Solar | Southern Power Co | Solar | 102 MW | 2017 |
| Al Pastor Battery Storage Plant | Al Pastor BESS LLC | Battery storage | 100 MW | 2024 |
| Lamesa II | Lamesa Solar II, L.L.C. | Solar | 50 MW | 2018 |
The Dawson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,115 | $55,447 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 125 | $84,926 | 0.57 |
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 Dawson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dawson County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Dawson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dawson County, Borden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County | 11,776 | ▼ 5.8% | 464 MW | — | — | — |
| Borden County | 567 | ▲ 33.7% | 1,479 MW | 945 MW | — | — |
| Gaines County | 23,956 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Howard County | 30,504 | ▼ 12.5% | 657 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Lynn County | 6,017 | ▼ 2.3% | 700 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Martin County | 5,284 | ▼ 0.6% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Terry County | 11,720 | ▼ 15.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Dawson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dawson County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Dawson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Southwestern Public Service Co, Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Dawson County?
4 operating plants with 464 MW of capacity. The largest is Mesquite Creek Wind (211 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Dawson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dawson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Borden County.
Is Dawson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,115 jobs in 2025 against 4,369 in 2019 (-5.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 95 to 125.
Does Dawson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dawson County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.