Orange County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Orange, Bridge City and Vidor
New generation is lining up in Orange County. 1,306 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Entergy Texas Inc. (natural gas). 1,306 MW of it is already under construction or built. Orange County is home to Orange, Bridge City, Vidor and West Orange. Owners plan to retire 1,304 MW more by 2035, led by Sabine in 2026. Its power plants have 2,455 MW of capacity, 98% of it natural gas. Construction employs 2,777, up 5.0% since 2019, and construction is 2.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Orange County
Orange County is home to Orange, Bridge City, Vidor and West Orange.
- Port Arthur also extends into Jefferson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Forest Heights, Little Cypress, Mauriceville.
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 Orange County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 84,759 | 86,266 | ▲ 1.8% | 48th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,911 | 25,398 | ▲ 10.9% | 78th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,469 | $67,812 | ▲ 24.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,646 | 2,777 | ▲ 5.0% | 108th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 5.3% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 106 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 1,306 MW | 53% of today's fleet | 13th of 149 by size |
Employers here counted 25,398 jobs in 2025, up 10.9% from 2019. 106 MW has retired here since 2019, including Sabine Cogen (natural gas, 106 MW, 2020). Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. Entergy Texas Inc. is the largest utility serving Orange County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 86,266 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Orange County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −106 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Orange County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| Jasper-Newton Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,180 | 12.96¢ | 10% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,407 MW | 98% |
| Other technologies | 48 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine | Entergy Texas Inc. | Natural gas | 1,812 MW | 1962 |
| Sabine River Operations | The Dow Chemical Company | Natural gas | 595 MW | 1987 |
| USG Paper, LLC - Orange Mill | USG Paper LLC | Other technologies | 48 MW | 1967 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County Advanced Power Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 453 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Entergy Texas Inc. |
| Orange County Advanced Power Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 453 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Entergy Texas Inc. |
| Orange County Advanced Power Station | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 400 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Entergy Texas Inc. |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine Cogen | Natural gas | 106 MW | 2020 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabine | Natural gas | 1,304 MW | 2026 |
The Orange County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 25,398 | $67,812 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,777 | $85,470 | 2.06 |
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 Orange County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Orange County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Orange County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Orange County, Calcasieu Parish 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 86,266 | ▲ 10.9% | 2,455 MW | 1,306 MW | — | — |
| Calcasieu Parish LA | 208,466 | ▼ 12.2% | 4,016 MW | 819 MW | — | — |
| Cameron Parish LA | 4,718 | ▼ 49.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 58,723 | ▼ 5.7% | 173 MW | 341 MW | — | — |
| Jasper County | 33,075 | ▼ 5.1% | 118 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 254,321 | ▲ 1.4% | 1,355 MW | 754 MW | 1 | — |
| Newton County | 11,954 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,515 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Orange County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Orange County, Texas?
2 utilities have service territory in Orange County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Texas Inc., Jasper-Newton Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Texas Inc., charged residential customers 13.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Orange, TX in?
Orange is in Orange County, Texas. About 19,419 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Orange County?
3 operating plants with 2,455 MW of capacity. The largest is Sabine (1,812 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Orange County?
1,306 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 1,306 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Entergy Texas Inc..
Are there data centers in Orange County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Orange County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Calcasieu Parish.
Is Orange County adding jobs?
Employers counted 25,398 jobs in 2025 against 22,911 in 2019 (+10.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,646 to 2,777.
Does Orange County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Orange County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.