Mitchell County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Colorado City
Mitchell County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Mitchell County is home to Colorado City and Loraine. 276 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Hackberry Creek Solar, LLC (solar). Next door, Borden County has 945 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 2,152 jobs in 2025, up 10.1% from 2019. Its power plants have 688 MW of capacity, 78% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Mitchell County
Mitchell County is home to Colorado City and Loraine.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Colorado City.
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 Mitchell County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,013 | 8,947 | ▼ 0.7% | 174th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,954 | 2,152 | ▲ 10.1% | 83rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,530 | $66,777 | ▲ 53.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 276 MW | 40% of today's fleet | 90th of 149 by size |
1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Mitchell County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 8,947 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Mitchell County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mitchell 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 | — | — |
| Taylor Electric Coop Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,722 | 15.37¢ | 14% |
| Concho Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,060 | 12.73¢ | 4% |
| Big Country Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,449 | 13.72¢ | 72% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 536 MW | 78% |
| Wind | 150 MW | 22% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Creek | Luminant Generation Company LLC | Petroleum | 536 MW | 1988 |
| Loraine Windpark Project LLC | Loraine Windpower Project | Wind | 150 MW | 2009 |
| Lone Wolfe Phase One | Heritage Energy Holdings, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2026 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackberry Creek Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 175 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Hackberry Creek Solar, LLC |
| Dolce BESS, LLC | Batteries | 101 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Samsung C&T Renewables, LLC |
The Mitchell County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,152 | $66,777 | 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 Mitchell County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mitchell County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Mitchell County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Mitchell County, Nolan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell County | 8,947 | ▲ 10.1% | 688 MW | 276 MW | — | — |
| Borden County | 567 | ▲ 33.7% | 1,479 MW | 945 MW | — | — |
| Coke County | 3,412 | ▲ 22.0% | 527 MW | 484 MW | — | — |
| Fisher County | 3,692 | ▼ 0.5% | 509 MW | 330 MW | — | — |
| Howard County | 30,504 | ▼ 12.5% | 657 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Nolan County | 14,117 | ▼ 2.2% | 2,772 MW | 831 MW | 1 | — |
| Scurry County | 16,162 | ▲ 2.7% | 2,639 MW | 190 MW | — | — |
| Sterling County | 1,349 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,474 MW | 356 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Mitchell County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mitchell County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Mitchell County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Taylor Electric Coop Inc - (TX), Concho Valley Elec Coop Inc, Big Country Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Mitchell County?
3 operating plants with 688 MW of capacity. The largest is Morgan Creek (536 MW, petroleum).
How much new power is planned in Mitchell County?
276 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Hackberry Creek Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Mitchell County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mitchell County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Borden County.
Is Mitchell County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,152 jobs in 2025 against 1,954 in 2019 (+10.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Mitchell County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mitchell County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.