Parmer County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Friona, Bovina and Farwell
Parmer 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. Parmer County is home to Friona, Bovina and Farwell. Next door, Deaf Smith County has 1,686 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 6,490 jobs in 2025, up 11.1% from 2019. 265 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Electrical contractors employ 22, up 10.0% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $63,786 a year.
Cities and towns in Parmer County
Parmer County is home to Friona, Bovina and Farwell.
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 Parmer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 9,856 | 9,678 | ▼ 1.8% | 166th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,843 | 6,490 | ▲ 11.1% | 75th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,674 | $57,802 | ▲ 29.4% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20 | 22 | ▲ 10.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 265 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 495 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Parmer 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. 9,678 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Parmer County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +265 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Parmer 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% |
| Bailey County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,348 | 8.77¢ | 20% |
| 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 495 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lazbuddie Wind Energy LLC | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 265 MW | 2026 |
| Mariah del Norte | BHE Renewables, LLC | Wind | 230 MW | 2016 |
The Parmer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,490 | $57,802 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 22 | $63,786 | 0.47 |
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 Parmer County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Parmer County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Parmer County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Parmer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parmer County | 9,678 | ▲ 11.1% | 495 MW | — | — | — |
| Bailey County | 6,963 | ▼ 5.2% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Castro County | 7,295 | ▲ 14.2% | 442 MW | 440 MW | — | — |
| Curry County NM | 46,655 | ▲ 7.1% | 573 MW | — | — | — |
| Deaf Smith County | 18,626 | ▲ 6.4% | 710 MW | 1,686 MW | — | — |
| Lamb County | 12,579 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,476 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Parmer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Parmer County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Parmer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Deaf Smith Electric Coop, Inc, Bailey County Elec Coop Assn, 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 Parmer County?
2 operating plants with 495 MW of capacity. The largest is Lazbuddie Wind Energy LLC (265 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Parmer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Parmer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Deaf Smith County.
Is Parmer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,490 jobs in 2025 against 5,843 in 2019 (+11.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Parmer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Parmer County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.