McLennan County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waco, Hewitt and Robinson
The data center boom is not abstract in McLennan County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in McLennan County. McLennan County is home to Waco, Hewitt, Robinson and Bellmead. 529 MW of new generation is planned here across 6 units, led by Gransolar Texas Eight, LLC (solar). 43 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 8,648, up 19.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 570 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in McLennan County
McLennan County is home to Waco, Hewitt, Robinson and Bellmead.
- Golinda also extends into Falls County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): China Spring, Willow Grove.
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 McLennan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 261,189 | 272,020 | ▲ 4.1% | 21st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 113,432 | 122,992 | ▲ 8.4% | 96th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,902 | $63,483 | ▲ 35.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,225 | 8,648 | ▲ 19.7% | 76th of 155 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 116 | 199 | ▲ 71.6% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 378 | 391 | ▲ 3.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 42 | 132 | ▲ 214.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 570 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 529 MW | 33% of today's fleet | 47th of 149 by size |
Its power plants have 1,588 MW of capacity, 63% of it coal. Employers here counted 122,992 jobs in 2025, up 8.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving McLennan County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 272,020 people live here, up 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers McLennan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +570 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in McLennan 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 | — | — |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc. | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,883 | 14.91¢ | 28% |
| Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,672 | 15.75¢ | 21% |
| Heart of Texas Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,722 | 12.62¢ | 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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 1,008 MW | 63% |
| Battery storage | 400 MW | 25% |
| Solar | 175 MW | 11% |
| Natural gas | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy Creek Energy Station | Sandy Creek Energy Associates LP | Coal | 1,008 MW | 2013 |
| PP Jaguar BESS LLC | PP Jaguar BESS LLC | Battery storage | 300 MW | 2025 |
| Copperhead Solar, LLC | Geronimo Power | Solar | 250 MW | 2024 |
| Eddy II | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 10 MW | 2018 |
| EDFR Bluebonnet | Texas Bluebonnet Solar Partners, LLC | Solar | 10 MW | 2023 |
| AbbVie Waco | Generate ER-NG, LLC | Natural gas | 6 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 6
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokio Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 170 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Gransolar Texas Eight, LLC |
| Pepper Solar Farm | Solar Photovoltaic | 120 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Pepper Solar Farm, LLC |
| Albatross Solar, LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 101 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Sunraycer Assets I LLC |
| Albatross Solar, LLC | Batteries | 50 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Sunraycer Assets I LLC |
| Braswell Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 44 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Gransolar Texas Nine LLC |
| GPI WACO Power | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 43 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Graphic Packaging International - WACO |
The McLennan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 122,992 | $63,483 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,648 | $71,455 | 1.33 |
| Power and communication line construction | 199 | $71,048 | 1.00 |
| Electric utilities | 391 | $135,586 | 1.17 |
| Data processing and hosting | 132 | $50,300 | 0.35 |
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 McLennan County
3 data centers in McLennan County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
McLennan County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border McLennan County, Hill 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLennan County | 272,020 | ▲ 8.4% | 1,588 MW | 529 MW | 3 | — |
| Bell County | 402,248 | ▲ 8.1% | 2,817 MW | 903 MW | 4 | 1 |
| Bosque County | 18,918 | ▲ 1.6% | 1,340 MW | 217 MW | 1 | — |
| Coryell County | 85,592 | ▼ 5.2% | 56 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Falls County | 17,869 | ▼ 4.7% | 941 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Hill County | 39,503 | ▲ 18.1% | 1,543 MW | 1,820 MW | — | 2 |
| Limestone County | 22,849 | ▲ 6.2% | 3,088 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
McLennan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McLennan County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in McLennan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Texas-New Mexico Power Co, HILCO Electric Cooperative, Inc., Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc.
What county is Waco, TX in?
Waco is in McLennan County, Texas. About 147,788 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hewitt, TX in?
Hewitt is in McLennan County, Texas. About 16,754 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Robinson, TX in?
Robinson is in McLennan County, Texas. About 13,028 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in McLennan County?
7 operating plants with 1,588 MW of capacity. The largest is Sandy Creek Energy Station (1,008 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in McLennan County?
529 MW across 6 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 43 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Gransolar Texas Eight, LLC.
Are there data centers in McLennan County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in McLennan County.
Is McLennan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 122,992 jobs in 2025 against 113,432 in 2019 (+8.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,225 to 8,648.
Does McLennan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McLennan County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.