Ellis County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waxahachie, Midlothian and Ennis
Ellis County sits inside the data center build-out. Construction employs 5,597, up 48.6% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 850, up 82.0% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $69,788 a year. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 16 data centers in Ellis County, 4% of Texas's total. Ellis County is home to Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis and Red Oak. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Red Oak Data Center Rezoning (Compass Datacenters).
Cities and towns in Ellis County
Ellis County is home to Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis and Red Oak.
- Glenn Heights also extends into Dallas County.
- Ovilla also extends into Dallas County.
- Venus also extends into Johnson County.
- Cedar Hill also extends into Dallas County.
- Mansfield also extends into Tarrant County, Johnson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bristol.
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 Ellis County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 194,322 | 240,867 | ▲ 24.0% | 25th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52,681 | 64,686 | ▲ 22.8% | 29th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,867 | $59,284 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,767 | 5,597 | ▲ 48.6% | 36th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 467 | 850 | ▲ 82.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 52 | 57 | ▲ 9.6% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 121 | 675 | ▲ 457.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22 | 175 | ▲ 695.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 365 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 574 MW | 23% of today's fleet | 46th of 149 by size |
Employers here counted 64,686 jobs in 2025, up 22.8% from 2019. 574 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Oak Valley Solar LLC (solar). 197 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,517 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas. 240,867 people live here, up 24.0% since 2020. 365 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Ellis County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Ellis County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +365 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ellis 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 | — | — |
| United Electric Coop Service Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 88,324 | 13.00¢ | 20% |
| HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,883 | 14.91¢ | 28% |
| Navarro County Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,435 | 14.25¢ | 9% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,152 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 215 MW | 9% |
| Battery storage | 150 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midlothian Energy Facility | Midlothian Energy LLC | Natural gas | 1,734 MW | 2000 |
| Ennis Power Company LLC | Ennis Power Company LLC | Natural gas | 418 MW | 2002 |
| Desert Willow Energy Storage | Desert Willow Energy Storage | Battery storage | 150 MW | 2025 |
| Elm Branch Solar 1 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 135 MW | 2021 |
| Ellis Solar LLC | 174 Power Global Corp. | Solar | 80 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Valley Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 251 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Oak Valley Solar LLC |
| Oystercatcher Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 197 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2027 | Cardinal Investment Company, Inc. |
| Dolomite Storage | Batteries | 126 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC |
The Ellis County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 64,686 | $59,284 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,597 | $74,181 | 1.63 |
| Electrical contractors | 850 | $69,788 | 1.82 |
| Power and communication line construction | 57 | $63,812 | 0.55 |
| Electric utilities | 675 | $80,408 | 3.85 |
| Data processing and hosting | 175 | $164,291 | 0.87 |
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 Ellis County
16 data centers in Ellis County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Oak Data Center Rezoning (Compass Datacenters) | delayed | — |
Ellis County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Ellis County, Dallas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis County | 240,867 | ▲ 22.8% | 2,517 MW | 574 MW | 16 | — |
| Dallas County | 2,661,397 | ▲ 4.9% | 2,070 MW | 12 MW | 90 | — |
| Henderson County | 88,595 | ▲ 14.4% | 546 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Hill County | 39,503 | ▲ 18.1% | 1,543 MW | 1,820 MW | — | 2 |
| Johnson County | 218,048 | ▲ 26.0% | 283 MW | — | — | — |
| Kaufman County | 209,235 | ▲ 41.3% | 2,196 MW | 851 MW | 2 | — |
| Navarro County | 57,181 | ▼ 3.3% | 1,215 MW | 2,231 MW | 1 | — |
| Tarrant County | 2,248,466 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,484 MW | — | 17 | — |
More of Texas
Ellis County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ellis County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Ellis County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, United Electric Coop Service Inc - (TX), HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc., Navarro County Elec Coop, Inc.
What county is Waxahachie, TX in?
Waxahachie is in Ellis County, Texas. About 50,090 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Midlothian, TX in?
Midlothian is in Ellis County, Texas. About 46,683 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Ennis, TX in?
Ennis is in Ellis County, Texas. About 25,694 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ellis County?
5 operating plants with 2,517 MW of capacity. The largest is Midlothian Energy Facility (1,734 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Ellis County?
574 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 197 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Oak Valley Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Ellis County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 16 data centers in Ellis County.
Is Ellis County adding jobs?
Employers counted 64,686 jobs in 2025 against 52,681 in 2019 (+22.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,767 to 5,597.
Does Ellis County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ellis County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.