Roberts County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
New generation is lining up in Roberts County. Employers here counted 170 jobs in 2025, down 33.6% from 2019. Roberts County is home to Miami. 500 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Intersect USA, LLC (wind). Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Its power plants have 289 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Roberts County
Roberts County is home to Miami.
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 Roberts County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 824 | 867 | ▲ 5.2% | 247th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 256 | 170 | ▼ 33.6% | 251st of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,697 | $43,491 | ▼ 8.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 500 MW | 173% of today's fleet | 52nd of 149 by size |
Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Roberts County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 867 people live here, up 5.2% since 2020.
Who powers Roberts County
Utilities with service territory in Roberts 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% |
| Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,912 | 18.00¢ | 11% |
| North Plains Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,081 | 10.15¢ | 26% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 289 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Wind Energy Center | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 289 MW | 2014 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IP Meitner Wind | Onshore Wind Turbine | 500 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Intersect USA, LLC |
The Roberts County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 170 | $43,491 | 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 Roberts County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Roberts County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Roberts County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Roberts County, Carson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roberts County | 867 | ▼ 33.6% | 289 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Carson County | 5,805 | ▲ 40.5% | 1,212 MW | 16,147 MW | — | — |
| Gray County | 20,919 | ▼ 1.4% | — | 500 MW | 1 | — |
| Hansford County | 4,944 | ▼ 2.6% | 1,221 MW | — | — | — |
| Hemphill County | 3,083 | ▼ 34.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Hutchinson County | 19,633 | ▼ 3.8% | 294 MW | — | — | — |
| Lipscomb County | 2,955 | ▼ 12.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Ochiltree County | 9,284 | ▼ 8.1% | 282 MW | 316 MW | — | — |
| Wheeler County | 4,773 | ▼ 14.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Roberts County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Roberts County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Roberts County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc, North Plains Electric Coop Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Roberts County?
1 operating plant with 289 MW of capacity. The largest is Miami Wind Energy Center (289 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Roberts County?
500 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Intersect USA, LLC.
Are there data centers in Roberts County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Roberts County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Carson County.
Is Roberts County adding jobs?
Employers counted 170 jobs in 2025 against 256 in 2019 (-33.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Roberts County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Roberts County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.