Kinney County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brackettville
Kinney County is where a large share of Texas's next power plants are planned. Kinney County is home to Brackettville. 467 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Gransolar Texas Thirteen, LLC (solar). 200 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Its power plants have 340 MW of capacity, 59% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Kinney County
Kinney County is home to Brackettville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Clark 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 Kinney County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,127 | 3,128 | ● 0.0% | 221st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,027 | 987 | ▼ 3.9% | 192nd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,042 | $62,009 | ▲ 29.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.1% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 200 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 467 MW | 137% of today's fleet | 58th of 149 by size |
Employers here counted 987 jobs in 2025, down 3.9% from 2019. AEP Texas Central Company is the largest utility serving Kinney County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 3,128 people live here, up 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Kinney County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +200 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kinney County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas Central Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 784,148 | — | — |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| Medina Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,205 | 12.10¢ | 20% |
| Rio Grande Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,298 | 18.51¢ | 23% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 200 MW | 59% |
| Wind | 100 MW | 29% |
| Battery storage | 40 MW | 12% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zier Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2024 |
| Anacacho Wind Farm, LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 100 MW | 2012 |
| OCI Alamo 4, LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 40 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Despain Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 236 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Gransolar Texas Thirteen, LLC |
| Cairos Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 153 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Samsung C&T Renewables, LLC |
| Cairos Solar and Storage | Batteries | 77 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Samsung C&T Renewables, LLC |
The Kinney County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 987 | $62,009 | 1.00 |
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 Kinney County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kinney County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Kinney County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Kinney County, Uvalde 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinney County | 3,128 | ▼ 3.9% | 340 MW | 467 MW | — | — |
| Edwards County | 1,370 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Maverick County | 58,823 | ▲ 5.5% | 143 MW | 186 MW | 1 | — |
| Uvalde County | 24,963 | ▼ 0.7% | 304 MW | 480 MW | — | — |
| Val Verde County | 47,835 | ▼ 0.7% | 396 MW | 276 MW | — | — |
| Zavala County | 9,037 | ▼ 5.8% | — | 425 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Kinney County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kinney County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Kinney County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas Central Company, Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, Medina Electric Coop, Inc, Rio Grande Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Kinney County?
3 operating plants with 340 MW of capacity. The largest is Zier Solar (200 MW, battery storage).
How much new power is planned in Kinney County?
467 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Gransolar Texas Thirteen, LLC.
Are there data centers in Kinney County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kinney County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Uvalde County.
Is Kinney County adding jobs?
Employers counted 987 jobs in 2025 against 1,027 in 2019 (-3.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kinney County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kinney County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.