Fayette County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to La Grange, Schulenburg and Flatonia
Fayette County hosts some of the generating capacity Texas runs on. Construction employs 750, up 82.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Fayette County is home to La Grange, Schulenburg and Flatonia. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Sunraycer Assets I LLC (battery storage). 200 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,172 MW of capacity, 78% of it coal. Next door, Lee County has 1,290 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Fayette County
Fayette County is home to La Grange, Schulenburg and Flatonia.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Plum.
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 Fayette County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,511 | 25,459 | ▲ 3.9% | 102nd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,282 | 9,376 | ▲ 1.0% | 151st of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,509 | $56,472 | ▲ 32.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 410 | 750 | ▲ 82.9% | 16th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 240 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 9% of today's fleet | 104th of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 240 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Fayette County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.42¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. Employers here counted 9,376 jobs in 2025, up 1.0% from 2019. 25,459 people live here, up 3.9% since 2020.
Who powers Fayette County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +240 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fayette County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 113,890 | 11.42¢ | 42% |
| Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 92,189 | 12.49¢ | 13% |
| San Bernard Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,774 | 14.16¢ | 14% |
| Fayette Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,150 | 12.54¢ | 18% |
| City of Flatonia - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of La Grange - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Schulenburg - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,690 MW | 78% |
| Natural gas | 242 MW | 11% |
| Solar | 240 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette Power Project | Lower Colorado River Authority | Coal | 1,690 MW | 1979 |
| Winchester Power Park | Lower Colorado River Authority | Natural gas | 242 MW | 2010 |
| 7V Solar Ranch | 7V Solar Ranch, LLC | Solar | 240 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staccato BESS | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Sunraycer Assets I LLC |
The Fayette County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 9,376 | $56,472 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 750 | $90,900 | 1.51 |
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 Fayette County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fayette County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Austin County.
Fayette County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Fayette County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County | 25,459 | ▲ 1.0% | 2,172 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Austin County | 33,625 | ▲ 27.0% | 210 MW | 800 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Bastrop County | 118,908 | ▲ 25.0% | 2,051 MW | 80 MW | 2 | — |
| Caldwell County | 55,150 | ▲ 25.3% | 368 MW | 200 MW | 1 | — |
| Colorado County | 21,439 | ▲ 7.1% | 51 MW | 142 MW | — | — |
| Gonzales County | 20,159 | ▼ 0.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Lavaca County | 20,651 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Lee County | 18,729 | ▲ 0.5% | — | 1,290 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 38,288 | ▲ 10.2% | — | 60 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Fayette County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fayette County, Texas?
7 utilities have service territory in Fayette County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc, Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc, San Bernard Electric Coop, Inc, Fayette Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 11.42¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Fayette County?
3 operating plants with 2,172 MW of capacity. The largest is Fayette Power Project (1,690 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Fayette County?
200 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 200 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Sunraycer Assets I LLC.
Are there data centers in Fayette County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fayette County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lee County.
Is Fayette County adding jobs?
Employers counted 9,376 jobs in 2025 against 9,282 in 2019 (+1.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 410 to 750.
Does Fayette County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fayette County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.