Limestone County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mexia and Groesbeck
Limestone County hosts some of the generating capacity Texas runs on. Limestone County is home to Mexia, Groesbeck and Coolidge. 403 MW of new generation is planned here across 4 units, led by Waco Solar II, LLC (solar). Its power plants have 3,088 MW of capacity, 60% of it coal. 1,233 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Construction employs 198, up 24.5% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Limestone County
Limestone County is home to Mexia, Groesbeck and Coolidge.
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 Limestone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,141 | 22,849 | ▲ 3.2% | 110th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,147 | 8,650 | ▲ 6.2% | 115th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,472 | $63,025 | ▲ 38.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 159 | 198 | ▲ 24.5% | 63rd of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.7% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,233 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 403 MW | 13% of today's fleet | 67th of 149 by size |
Next door, Navarro County has 1 data center and 2,231 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 8,650 jobs in 2025, up 6.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Limestone County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 22,849 people live here, up 3.2% since 2020.
Who powers Limestone County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,233 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Limestone 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% |
| 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,850 MW | 60% |
| Solar | 638 MW | 21% |
| Wind | 600 MW | 19% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone | NRG Texas Power LLC | Coal | 1,850 MW | 1985 |
| Waco Solar | Waco Solar, LLC | Solar | 400 MW | 2024 |
| Hubbard Wind | Hubbard Wind LLC | Wind | 300 MW | 2021 |
| Prairie Hill Wind Project | Engie North America | Wind | 300 MW | 2020 |
| Diver Solar, LLC | Diver Solar, LLC | Solar | 225 MW | 2025 |
| Mexia Solar Project | Ellomay USA Inc | Solar | 8 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 4
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waco Solar II | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Waco Solar II, LLC |
| Naduah Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 102 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Gransolar Texas Fifteen, LLC |
| Findley PV and BESS | Batteries | 50 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Gransolar Texas Sixteen, LLC |
| Findley PV and BESS | Solar Photovoltaic | 50 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Gransolar Texas Sixteen, LLC |
The Limestone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,650 | $63,025 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 198 | $48,062 | 0.43 |
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 Limestone County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Limestone County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hill County.
Limestone County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Limestone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone County | 22,849 | ▲ 6.2% | 3,088 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
| Falls County | 17,869 | ▼ 4.7% | 941 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Freestone County | 20,811 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,490 MW | 959 MW | 1 | — |
| Hill County | 39,503 | ▲ 18.1% | 1,543 MW | 1,820 MW | — | 2 |
| Leon County | 16,894 | ▲ 22.8% | 209 MW | 815 MW | — | — |
| McLennan County | 272,020 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,588 MW | 529 MW | 3 | — |
| Navarro County | 57,181 | ▼ 3.3% | 1,215 MW | 2,231 MW | 1 | — |
| Robertson County | 17,839 | ▲ 29.3% | 2,395 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Limestone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Limestone County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Limestone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Entergy Texas Inc., Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc, Navarro County Elec Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Limestone County?
7 operating plants with 3,088 MW of capacity. The largest is Limestone (1,850 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Limestone County?
403 MW across 4 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Waco Solar II, LLC.
Are there data centers in Limestone County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Limestone County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Navarro County.
Is Limestone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,650 jobs in 2025 against 8,147 in 2019 (+6.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 159 to 198.
Does Limestone County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Limestone County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.