Howard County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Big Spring
Howard County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Electrical contractors employ 31, up 121.4% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $54,505 a year. Howard County is home to Big Spring and Coahoma. 200 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Cypress Creek Renewables (battery storage). Next door, Borden County has 945 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Howard County
Howard County is home to Big Spring and Coahoma.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Sand Springs.
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 Howard County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,811 | 30,504 | ▼ 12.4% | 95th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,691 | 11,977 | ▼ 12.5% | 231st of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,657 | $66,437 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 729 | 735 | ▲ 0.8% | 118th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14 | 31 | ▲ 121.4% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 311 | 393 | ▲ 26.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 4.5% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 77 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 200 MW | 30% of today's fleet | 110th of 149 by size |
Employers here counted 11,977 jobs in 2025, down 12.5% from 2019. 77 MW has retired here since 2019, including C R Wing Cogen Plant (natural gas, 75 MW, 2024). Construction employs 735, up 0.8% since 2019. Its power plants have 657 MW of capacity, 73% of it wind. 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 30,504 people live here, down 12.4% since 2020. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Howard County, one of 2 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Howard County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −67 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Howard 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 | — | — |
| Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,021 | 8.99¢ | 42% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 478 MW | 73% |
| Natural gas | 170 MW | 26% |
| Solar | 10 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C R Wing Cogen Plant | BHER Power Resources, Inc | Natural gas | 170 MW | 1987 |
| Panther Creek Wind Farm I | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 142 MW | 2008 |
| Elbow Creek Wind Project LLC | Elbow Creek Wind Project LLC | Wind | 122 MW | 2008 |
| Gunsight Mountain Wind Energy LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 120 MW | 2016 |
| Ocotillo Windpower | Deriva Energy | Wind | 59 MW | 2008 |
| Big Spring Wind Power Facility | Terra-Gen Operating Co-Wind | Wind | 34 MW | 1998 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhalu | Batteries | 200 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Cypress Creek Renewables |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| C R Wing Cogen Plant | Natural gas | 75 MW | 2024 |
| NRG Elbow Creek Energy Storage Project | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2024 |
The Howard County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,977 | $66,437 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 735 | $81,088 | 1.16 |
| Electrical contractors | 31 | $54,505 | 0.36 |
| Electric utilities | 393 | $139,821 | 12.12 |
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 Howard County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Howard County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Howard County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Howard County, Borden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County | 30,504 | ▼ 12.5% | 657 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Borden County | 567 | ▲ 33.7% | 1,479 MW | 945 MW | — | — |
| Dawson County | 11,776 | ▼ 5.8% | 464 MW | — | — | — |
| Glasscock County | 1,128 | ▲ 60.7% | 743 MW | 613 MW | 1 | — |
| Martin County | 5,284 | ▼ 0.6% | 120 MW | — | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 8,947 | ▲ 10.1% | 688 MW | 276 MW | — | — |
| Sterling County | 1,349 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,474 MW | 356 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Howard County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Howard County, Texas?
2 utilities have service territory in Howard County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc.
What county is Big Spring, TX in?
Big Spring is in Howard County, Texas. About 22,290 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Howard County?
7 operating plants with 657 MW of capacity. The largest is C R Wing Cogen Plant (170 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Howard County?
200 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Cypress Creek Renewables.
Are there data centers in Howard County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Howard County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Borden County.
Is Howard County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,977 jobs in 2025 against 13,691 in 2019 (-12.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 729 to 735.
Does Howard County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Howard County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.