Leon County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Buffalo and Centerville
New generation is lining up in Leon County. Construction employs 2,109, up 143.8% since 2019, and construction is 6.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Leon County is home to Buffalo, Centerville and Jewett. 815 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Repsol Renewables NA (solar). 457 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 6,189 jobs in 2025, up 22.8% from 2019. 209 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Leon County
Leon County is home to Buffalo, Centerville and Jewett.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hilltop Lakes.
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 Leon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,775 | 16,894 | ▲ 7.1% | 136th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,038 | 6,189 | ▲ 22.8% | 28th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $55,633 | $74,447 | ▲ 33.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 865 | 2,109 | ▲ 143.8% | 7th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 209 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 815 MW | 390% of today's fleet | 29th of 149 by size |
Its power plants have 209 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Leon County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 16,894 people live here, up 7.1% since 2020. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Who powers Leon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +209 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Leon 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 | — | — |
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| Houston County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,426 | 16.60¢ | 14% |
| Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,672 | 15.75¢ | 21% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 209 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Misae Solar IV LLC | Ferrovial Energy US | Solar | 209 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pecan Prairie North Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 324 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Repsol Renewables NA |
| Kahla Storage | Batteries | 201 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC |
| Pecan BESS | Batteries | 157 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Gransolar Texas Three, LLC |
| Pecan Prairie South Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 133 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Repsol Renewables NA |
The Leon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,189 | $74,447 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,109 | $81,684 | 6.43 |
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 Leon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Leon County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Leon County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Leon County, Freestone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon County | 16,894 | ▲ 22.8% | 209 MW | 815 MW | — | — |
| Anderson County | 59,805 | ▲ 0.6% | — | 176 MW | — | — |
| Brazos County | 249,088 | ▲ 17.3% | 290 MW | 5 MW | 3 | — |
| Freestone County | 20,811 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,490 MW | 959 MW | 1 | — |
| Houston County | 22,316 | ▲ 9.6% | — | 125 MW | — | — |
| Limestone County | 22,849 | ▲ 6.2% | 3,088 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 14,226 | ▲ 0.1% | — | 660 MW | — | — |
| Robertson County | 17,839 | ▲ 29.3% | 2,395 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Leon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Leon County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Leon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Entergy Texas Inc., Houston County Elec Coop Inc, Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Leon County?
1 operating plant with 209 MW of capacity. The largest is Misae Solar IV LLC (209 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Leon County?
815 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 457 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Repsol Renewables NA.
Are there data centers in Leon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Leon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Freestone County.
Is Leon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,189 jobs in 2025 against 5,038 in 2019 (+22.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 865 to 2,109.
Does Leon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Leon County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.