Nolan County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sweetwater and Roscoe
Nolan County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Nolan County. Nolan County is home to Sweetwater and Roscoe. Construction employs 251, down 43.8% since 2019. 831 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Hecate Energy Harley Hand Solar LLC (solar). Its power plants have 2,772 MW of capacity, 92% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Nolan County
Nolan County is home to Sweetwater and Roscoe.
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 Nolan County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,724 | 14,117 | ▼ 4.1% | 145th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,316 | 6,177 | ▼ 2.2% | 180th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,936 | $59,954 | ▲ 33.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 447 | 251 | ▼ 43.8% | 153rd of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 811 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 831 MW | 30% of today's fleet | 28th of 149 by size |
811 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Employers here counted 6,177 jobs in 2025, down 2.2% from 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Nolan County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 14,117 people live here, down 4.1% since 2020.
Who powers Nolan County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +811 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Nolan 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 | — | — |
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| 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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 2,552 MW | 92% |
| Solar | 200 MW | 7% |
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mesquite Star | Mesquite Star Special LLC | Wind | 419 MW | 2020 |
| Sweetwater Wind 4 LLC | Leeward Asset Management, LLC | Wind | 241 MW | 2007 |
| Buffalo Gap 2 Wind Farm | AES Distributed Energy | Wind | 232 MW | 2007 |
| Roscoe Wind Farm LLC | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 209 MW | 2008 |
| Inadale Wind Farm LLC Hybrid | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 207 MW | 2009 |
| Holstein 1 Solar Farm | Holstein Solar Farm 1, LLC | Solar | 200 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecate Energy Harley Hand Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 514 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Hecate Energy Harley Hand Solar LLC |
| Leuven Solar LLC | Solar Photovoltaic | 217 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Belgian Renewable Energy Group (BREG) |
| Holstein 2 Battery Storage | Batteries | 100 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | 229HD 8me, LLC |
The Nolan County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,177 | $59,954 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 251 | $81,258 | 0.77 |
| Power and communication line construction | 95 | $86,020 | 9.52 |
| Electric utilities | 264 | $133,590 | 15.79 |
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 Nolan County
1 data center in Nolan County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Nolan County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Nolan County, Taylor 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nolan County | 14,117 | ▼ 2.2% | 2,772 MW | 831 MW | 1 | — |
| Coke County | 3,412 | ▲ 22.0% | 527 MW | 484 MW | — | — |
| Fisher County | 3,692 | ▼ 0.5% | 509 MW | 330 MW | — | — |
| Jones County | 20,861 | ▲ 8.2% | 201 MW | 1,418 MW | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 8,947 | ▲ 10.1% | 688 MW | 276 MW | — | — |
| Runnels County | 9,693 | ▲ 6.4% | 125 MW | — | — | — |
| Scurry County | 16,162 | ▲ 2.7% | 2,639 MW | 190 MW | — | — |
| Taylor County | 150,077 | ▲ 6.8% | 991 MW | 299 MW | 45 | — |
More of Texas
Nolan County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nolan County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Nolan County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, AEP Texas North Company, Taylor Electric Coop Inc - (TX), Concho Valley Elec Coop Inc.
What county is Sweetwater, TX in?
Sweetwater is in Nolan County, Texas. About 10,141 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Nolan County?
17 operating plants with 2,772 MW of capacity. The largest is Mesquite Star (419 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Nolan County?
831 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Hecate Energy Harley Hand Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Nolan County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Nolan County.
Is Nolan County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,177 jobs in 2025 against 6,316 in 2019 (-2.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 447 to 251.
Does Nolan County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nolan County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.