Fort Bend County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sugar Land, Missouri City and Fulshear
Fort Bend County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Its power plants have 7,211 MW of capacity, 38% of it coal, the 2nd largest fleet in Texas. Employers here counted 260,929 jobs in 2025, up 33.0% from 2019. 2,414 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Fort Bend County is home to Sugar Land, most of Missouri City (71,300 of its 77,327 residents), Fulshear and part of Houston (43,668 of its 2,397,315 residents). Electrical contractors employ 2,201, up 51.6% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $91,109 a year.
Cities and towns in Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County is home to Sugar Land, most of Missouri City (71,300 of its 77,327 residents), Fulshear and part of Houston (43,668 of its 2,397,315 residents).
- Missouri City also extends into Harris County.
- Houston also extends into Harris County.
- Stafford also extends into Harris County.
- Katy also extends into Harris County, Waller County.
- Pearland also extends into Brazoria County, Harris County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cinco Ranch, Cumings, Fifth Street, Four Corners, Fresno, Mission Bend, Pecan Grove, Sienna.
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 Fort Bend County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 830,347 | 975,191 | ▲ 17.4% | 8th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 196,218 | 260,929 | ▲ 33.0% | 16th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,506 | $63,472 | ▲ 20.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12,361 | 15,164 | ▲ 22.7% | 68th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,452 | 2,201 | ▲ 51.6% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69 | 95 | ▲ 37.7% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 600 | 750 | ▲ 25.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 212 | 210 | ▼ 0.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2,414 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 360 MW | 5% of today's fleet | 73rd of 149 by size |
360 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Rock Rose Energy Storage LLC (battery storage). 360 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 15,164, up 22.7% since 2019. Next door, Harris County has 36 data centers and 967 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 975,191 people live here, up 17.4% since 2020, 8th of 254 Texas counties by population. CenterPoint Energy is the largest utility serving Fort Bend County. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Fort Bend County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2,414 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Fort Bend County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenterPoint Energy | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 2,485,470 | — | — |
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 24
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,737 MW | 38% |
| Natural gas | 2,535 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 1,221 MW | 17% |
| Battery storage | 700 MW | 10% |
| Petroleum | 18 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W A Parish | NRG Texas Power LLC | Natural gas | 4,008 MW | 1958 |
| Jack Fusco Energy Center | Brazos Valley Energy | Natural gas | 676 MW | 2003 |
| Braes Bayou Plant | ProEnergy Services | Natural gas | 484 MW | 2022 |
| Old 300 Solar Center, LLC | Old 300 Solar Center, LLC | Solar | 430 MW | 2024 |
| Old 300 Storage Center | Old 300 Storage Center, LLC | Battery storage | 250 MW | 2026 |
| Fort Bend Solar LLC | Acciona Energy USA Global, LLC | Solar | 240 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Rose Energy Storage | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Rock Rose Energy Storage LLC |
| Crowned Heron 2 - Storage, LLC | Batteries | 150 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RWE Clean Energy |
| Orchard BESS | Batteries | 10 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | IEP Tejas Verde, LLC |
The Fort Bend County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 260,929 | $63,472 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 15,164 | $104,805 | 1.10 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,201 | $91,109 | 1.17 |
| Power and communication line construction | 95 | $90,376 | 0.23 |
| Electric utilities | 750 | $156,935 | 1.06 |
| Data processing and hosting | 210 | $98,307 | 0.26 |
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 Fort Bend County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Fort Bend County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Austin County.
Fort Bend County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Fort Bend County, Harris 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bend County | 975,191 | ▲ 33.0% | 7,211 MW | 360 MW | — | — |
| Austin County | 33,625 | ▲ 27.0% | 210 MW | 800 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Brazoria County | 419,080 | ▲ 7.1% | 5,961 MW | 2,499 MW | — | — |
| Harris County | 5,045,026 | ▲ 4.6% | 11,060 MW | 967 MW | 36 | — |
| Waller County | 69,858 | ▲ 40.7% | 480 MW | — | — | — |
| Wharton County | 42,060 | ▼ 0.8% | 3,912 MW | 2,229 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Fort Bend County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fort Bend County, Texas?
1 utility has service territory in Fort Bend County in the EIA-861 2024 report: CenterPoint Energy.
What county is Sugar Land, TX in?
Sugar Land is in Fort Bend County, Texas. About 107,726 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Missouri City, TX in?
Most of Missouri City is in Fort Bend County: 71,300 of its 77,327 residents, or 92%. The rest of the city lies in Harris County.
What county is Fulshear, TX in?
Fulshear is in Fort Bend County, Texas. About 64,630 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Fort Bend County?
24 operating plants with 7,211 MW of capacity. The largest is W A Parish (4,008 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Fort Bend County?
360 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 360 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Rock Rose Energy Storage LLC.
Are there data centers in Fort Bend County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fort Bend County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harris County.
Is Fort Bend County adding jobs?
Employers counted 260,929 jobs in 2025 against 196,218 in 2019 (+33.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 12,361 to 15,164.
Does Fort Bend County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Fort Bend County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.