Grimes County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Navasota
Grimes County hosts some of the generating capacity Texas runs on. Construction employs 673, up 53.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Grimes County is home to Navasota and Plantersville. 210 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Blue Jay Solar I, LLC (solar). 210 MW of it is already under construction or built. 454 MW has retired here since 2019, including Gibbons Creek (coal, 454 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 8,470 jobs in 2025, up 13.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Grimes County
Grimes County is home to Navasota and Plantersville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Pinebrook, Richards, Shiro.
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 Grimes County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,443 | 34,252 | ▲ 16.3% | 88th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,434 | 8,470 | ▲ 13.9% | 59th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,571 | $63,340 | ▲ 22.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 438 | 673 | ▲ 53.7% | 28th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 50 | 45 | ▼ 10.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 362 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 454 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 210 MW | 16% of today's fleet | 101st of 149 by size |
Next door, Madison County has 660 MW of planned generation. 362 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 1,301 MW of capacity, 72% of it natural gas. 34,252 people live here, up 16.3% since 2020. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Entergy Texas Inc. is the largest utility serving Grimes County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. Electrical contractors employ 45, down 10.0% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $51,182 a year.
Who powers Grimes County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −92 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Grimes County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| Mid-South Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,267 | 14.08¢ | 16% |
| San Bernard Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,774 | 14.16¢ | 14% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 940 MW | 72% |
| Solar | 210 MW | 16% |
| Battery storage | 152 MW | 12% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenaska Frontier Generation Station | Tenaska Frontier Partners Ltd | Natural gas | 940 MW | 2000 |
| Grimes County Solar | Grimes County Solar Project, LLC | Solar | 210 MW | 2026 |
| TX15 Limousin Oak Storage | Key Capture Energy | Battery storage | 100 MW | 2024 |
| Blue Jay Solar I, LLC | Blue Jay Solar I, LLC | Battery storage | 52 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Jay Solar I, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 210 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Blue Jay Solar I, LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibbons Creek | Coal | 454 MW | 2019 |
The Grimes County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,470 | $63,340 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 673 | $68,363 | 1.50 |
| Electrical contractors | 45 | $51,182 | 0.74 |
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 Grimes County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grimes County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Grimes County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Grimes County, Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grimes County | 34,252 | ▲ 13.9% | 1,301 MW | 210 MW | — | — |
| Brazos County | 249,088 | ▲ 17.3% | 290 MW | 5 MW | 3 | — |
| Madison County | 14,226 | ▲ 0.1% | — | 660 MW | — | — |
| Montgomery County | 781,194 | ▲ 22.4% | 1,548 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Walker County | 83,842 | ▲ 4.4% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
| Waller County | 69,858 | ▲ 40.7% | 480 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 38,288 | ▲ 10.2% | — | 60 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Grimes County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grimes County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Grimes County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Texas Inc., Mid-South Electric Coop Assn, San Bernard Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Texas Inc., charged residential customers 13.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Grimes County?
4 operating plants with 1,301 MW of capacity. The largest is Tenaska Frontier Generation Station (940 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Grimes County?
210 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 210 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Blue Jay Solar I, LLC.
Are there data centers in Grimes County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grimes County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Madison County.
Is Grimes County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,470 jobs in 2025 against 7,434 in 2019 (+13.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 438 to 673.
Does Grimes County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grimes County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.