Kaufman County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Forney, Terrell and Kaufman
Kaufman County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. Employers here counted 45,719 jobs in 2025, up 41.3% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 254 Texas counties). The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Kaufman County. Kaufman County is home to Forney, Terrell, Kaufman and Crandall. 209,235 people live here, up 42.2% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 754, up 59.4% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $76,314 a year.
Cities and towns in Kaufman County
Kaufman County is home to Forney, Terrell, Kaufman and Crandall.
- Mabank also extends into Henderson County.
- Combine also extends into Dallas County.
- Poetry also extends into Hunt County.
- Mesquite also extends into Dallas County.
- Seven Points also extends into Henderson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Elmo, Heartland, Travis Ranch.
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 Kaufman County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 147,165 | 209,235 | ▲ 42.2% | 27th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32,354 | 45,719 | ▲ 41.3% | 8th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,692 | $57,591 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,532 | 3,118 | ▲ 23.1% | 67th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 473 | 754 | ▲ 59.4% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 208 | 256 | ▲ 23.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 302 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 851 MW | 39% of today's fleet | 27th of 149 by size |
851 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Vesper Energy Development LLC (solar). 351 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 3,118, up 23.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 2,196 MW of capacity, 86% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 302 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Kaufman County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Kaufman County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +302 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kaufman 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 | — | — |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 84,006 | 11.51¢ | 15% |
| Trinity Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 79,954 | 11.26¢ | 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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,894 MW | 86% |
| Battery storage | 155 MW | 7% |
| Solar | 147 MW | 7% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forney Energy Center | LaFrontera Holdings LLC | Natural gas | 1,894 MW | 2003 |
| Lily Solar Hybrid | Lily Solar, LLC | Solar | 202 MW | 2021 |
| Ables Springs Solar & Storage | Ables Springs Solar, LLC | Battery storage | 100 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mystic Springs Renewable Energy (Hybrid) | Batteries | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Vesper Energy Development LLC |
| Mystic Springs Renewable Energy (Hybrid) | Solar Photovoltaic | 250 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Vesper Energy Development LLC |
| Kaufman Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Kaufman Solar, LLC |
| Ables Springs Solar & Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 151 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Ables Springs Solar, LLC |
The Kaufman County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 45,719 | $57,591 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,118 | $72,436 | 1.29 |
| Electrical contractors | 754 | $76,314 | 2.29 |
| Electric utilities | 256 | $134,295 | 2.07 |
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 Kaufman County
2 data centers in Kaufman County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Kaufman County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Kaufman County, Dallas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaufman County | 209,235 | ▲ 41.3% | 2,196 MW | 851 MW | 2 | — |
| Dallas County | 2,661,397 | ▲ 4.9% | 2,070 MW | 12 MW | 90 | — |
| Ellis County | 240,867 | ▲ 22.8% | 2,517 MW | 574 MW | 16 | — |
| Henderson County | 88,595 | ▲ 14.4% | 546 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Hunt County | 123,336 | ▲ 18.2% | 372 MW | 176 MW | — | — |
| Rockwall County | 140,738 | ▲ 34.2% | 125 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Zandt County | 66,130 | ▲ 13.7% | 59 MW | 220 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Kaufman County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kaufman County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Kaufman County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (TX), Trinity Valley Elec Coop Inc.
What county is Forney, TX in?
Forney is in Kaufman County, Texas. About 41,658 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Terrell, TX in?
Terrell is in Kaufman County, Texas. About 23,921 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kaufman, TX in?
Kaufman is in Kaufman County, Texas. About 10,717 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Kaufman County?
3 operating plants with 2,196 MW of capacity. The largest is Forney Energy Center (1,894 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Kaufman County?
851 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 351 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Vesper Energy Development LLC.
Are there data centers in Kaufman County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Kaufman County.
Is Kaufman County adding jobs?
Employers counted 45,719 jobs in 2025 against 32,354 in 2019 (+41.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,532 to 3,118.
Does Kaufman County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kaufman County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.