Hill County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hillsboro, Whitney and Itasca
Hill County is where a large share of Texas's next power plants are planned. Construction employs 1,514, up 53.4% since 2019, and construction is 2.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1,820 MW of new generation is planned here across 12 units, led by Hill Solar 1, LLC (solar), the 7th largest pipeline among Texas's counties. 726 MW of it is already under construction or built. Hill County is home to Hillsboro, Whitney, Itasca and Hubbard. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium (rescinded)”. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Aquila (1,235 MW).
Cities and towns in Hill County
Hill County is home to Hillsboro, Whitney, Itasca and Hubbard.
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 Hill County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 35,965 | 39,503 | ▲ 9.8% | 81st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 10,029 | 11,848 | ▲ 18.1% | 42nd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,712 | $58,256 | ▲ 36.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 987 | 1,514 | ▲ 53.4% | 29th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,543 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,820 MW | 118% of today's fleet | 7th of 149 by size |
1,543 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 11,848 jobs in 2025, up 18.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 1,543 MW of capacity, 69% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 39,503 people live here, up 9.8% since 2020. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Hill County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Hill County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,543 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hill 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 | — | — |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,883 | 14.91¢ | 28% |
| Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,672 | 15.75¢ | 21% |
| 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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1,065 MW | 69% |
| Wind | 304 MW | 20% |
| Battery storage | 173 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ash Creek Solar | Ash Creek | Solar | 409 MW | 2025 |
| Hubbard Wind II | Hubbard Wind II, LLC | Wind | 304 MW | 2026 |
| Sun Valley Solar Project | Sun Valley Solar LLC | Solar | 250 MW | 2022 |
| BPL Files Solar | BPL Files Solar LLC | Solar | 158 MW | 2023 |
| Midpoint Solar, LLC | Sunraycer Assets I LLC | Battery storage | 148 MW | 2026 |
| Sun Valley Storage | Sun Valley Storage LLC | Battery storage | 123 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 12
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill Solar 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 405 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Hill Solar 1, LLC |
| Ash Creek BESS | Batteries | 306 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | ACTX BESS Project LLC |
| Hill Solar II | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Hill Solar II, LLC |
| OCI Hillsboro | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | HEC Renewable Energy America LLC |
| OCI Hillsboro | Batteries | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | HEC Renewable Energy America LLC |
| Vial BESS | Batteries | 141 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Gransolar Texas Eleven LLC |
| Three W Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 111 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Three W Solar LLC |
| Leitrim Solar Park | Solar Photovoltaic | 91 MW | Approvals received | 2030 | Greenalia Solar Power Leitrim, LLC |
| Payne Battlecreek Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 85 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Gransolar Texas Ten LLC |
| Edens Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 70 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | RIC Development, LLC |
| Hillsboro Solar Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Ellomay USA Inc |
| Hillsboro Solar Project | Solar Photovoltaic | 5 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Ellomay USA Inc |
The Hill County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,848 | $58,256 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,514 | $82,928 | 2.41 |
| Electric utilities | 146 | $109,017 | 4.55 |
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 Hill County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium (rescinded) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-06 | |
| Hill County Commissioners Court (first Texas county data center moratorium), TX data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Project Aquila | cancelled | 1,235 MW | ||
| RCM Hill LLC Data Center (Hill County) | litigation active | — |
Hill County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Hill County, Navarro 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill County | 39,503 | ▲ 18.1% | 1,543 MW | 1,820 MW | — | 2 |
| Bosque County | 18,918 | ▲ 1.6% | 1,340 MW | 217 MW | 1 | — |
| Ellis County | 240,867 | ▲ 22.8% | 2,517 MW | 574 MW | 16 | — |
| Johnson County | 218,048 | ▲ 26.0% | 283 MW | — | — | — |
| Limestone County | 22,849 | ▲ 6.2% | 3,088 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
| McLennan County | 272,020 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,588 MW | 529 MW | 3 | — |
| Navarro County | 57,181 | ▼ 3.3% | 1,215 MW | 2,231 MW | 1 | — |
More of Texas
Hill County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hill County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Hill County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Texas-New Mexico Power Co, HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc., Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Hill County?
9 operating plants with 1,543 MW of capacity. The largest is Ash Creek Solar (409 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Hill County?
1,820 MW across 12 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 726 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Hill Solar 1, LLC.
Are there data centers in Hill County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hill County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Navarro County.
Is Hill County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,848 jobs in 2025 against 10,029 in 2019 (+18.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 987 to 1,514.
Does Hill County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Hill County, 1 in force.