Oldham County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Boys Ranch and Wildorado
Oldham 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. Oldham County is home to Vega. Next door, Deaf Smith County has 1,686 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 903 jobs in 2025, down 11.0% from 2019. Its power plants have 755 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Oldham County
Oldham County is home to Vega.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Boys Ranch, Wildorado.
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 Oldham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,766 | 1,783 | ▲ 1.0% | 234th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,015 | 903 | ▼ 11.0% | 226th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,470 | $53,043 | ▲ 24.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 3.9% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Oldham County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 1,783 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Oldham County
Utilities with service territory in Oldham County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| Deaf Smith Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,333 | 8.83¢ | 19% |
| Rita Blanca Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,255 | 8.28¢ | 96% |
| Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (NM) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 755 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinning Spur Wind III | Boralex US Operations LLC | Wind | 194 MW | 2015 |
| Spinning Spur Wind II | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 161 MW | 2014 |
| Spinning Spur Wind LLC | EDF Renewable Asset Holdings, Inc. | Wind | 161 MW | 2012 |
| Wildorado Wind LLC | Wildorado Wind, LLC | Wind | 161 MW | 2007 |
| Golden Spread Panhandle Wnd Rch | Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc | Wind | 78 MW | 2011 |
The Oldham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 903 | $53,043 | 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 Oldham County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Oldham County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Oldham County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Oldham County, Deaf Smith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldham County | 1,783 | ▼ 11.0% | 755 MW | — | — | — |
| Deaf Smith County | 18,626 | ▲ 6.4% | 710 MW | 1,686 MW | — | — |
| Hartley County | 4,904 | ▲ 11.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Moore County | 21,891 | ▲ 15.2% | 98 MW | — | — | — |
| Potter County | 114,453 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,555 MW | 168 MW | 4 | — |
| Quay County NM | 8,454 | ▼ 1.1% | 409 MW | — | — | — |
| Randall County | 152,351 | ▲ 13.9% | 166 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Oldham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Oldham County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Oldham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Deaf Smith Electric Coop, Inc, Rita Blanca Electric Coop, Inc, Farmers Electric Coop, Inc - (NM). The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Oldham County?
5 operating plants with 755 MW of capacity. The largest is Spinning Spur Wind III (194 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Oldham County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Oldham County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Deaf Smith County.
Is Oldham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 903 jobs in 2025 against 1,015 in 2019 (-11.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Oldham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Oldham County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.