# 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 The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium (rescinded)”. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Project Aquila (1,235 MW).

1,820 MW
of new generation planned here, solar leading

+18.1%
total jobs since 2019, now 11,848

2.4×
the U.S. share of jobs in construction

## Cities and towns in Hill County

Hill County is home to Hillsboro, Whitney, Itasca and Hubbard.

Hillsboro9,036 residents
Whitney2,134 residents
Itasca1,970 residents
Hubbard1,507 residents
Blum421 residents
Abbott377 residents
Mount Calm336 residents
Covington303 residents
Malone253 residents
Carl's Corner227 residents
Penelope196 residents
Bynum180 residents
Mertens156 residents
Aquilla115 residents

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

| 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

### 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 

| 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 

| 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 

| 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 

| Project | Status | Cause | MW |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project Aquila | cancelled | litigationinterconnectioncommunity opposition | 1,235 MW |
| RCM Hill LLC Data Center (Hill County) | litigation active | litigationlocal moratorium | — |

## 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](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/bosque-county) | 18,918 | ▲ 1.6% | 1,340 MW | 217 MW | 1 | — |
| Ellis County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/ellis-county) | 240,867 | ▲ 22.8% | 2,517 MW | 574 MW | 16 | — |
| Johnson County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/johnson-county) | 218,048 | ▲ 26.0% | 283 MW | — | — | — |
| Limestone County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/limestone-county) | 22,849 | ▲ 6.2% | 3,088 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
| McLennan County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/mclennan-county) | 272,020 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,588 MW | 529 MW | 3 | — |
| Navarro County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/navarro-county) | 57,181 | ▼ 3.3% | 1,215 MW | 2,231 MW | 1 | — |

## More of Texas

[All Texas countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas)[McLennan County272,020 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/mclennan-county)[Ellis County240,867 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/ellis-county)[Johnson County218,048 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/johnson-county)[Navarro County57,181 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/navarro-county)[Limestone County22,849 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/limestone-county)

## 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.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/texas/hill-county
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).