Robertson County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hearne and Franklin
New generation is lining up in Robertson County. Construction employs 586, up 67.9% since 2019, and construction is 2.0 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 5,641 jobs in 2025, up 29.3% from 2019. Robertson County is home to Hearne, Franklin, Calvert and Bremond. 600 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Tidwell Prairie IIA LLC (battery storage). 600 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 2,395 MW of capacity, 90% of it coal.
Cities and towns in Robertson County
Robertson County is home to Hearne, Franklin, Calvert and Bremond.
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 Robertson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,767 | 17,839 | ▲ 6.4% | 135th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,364 | 5,641 | ▲ 29.3% | 22nd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,868 | $62,346 | ▲ 35.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 349 | 586 | ▲ 67.9% | 18th of 155 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 116 | 104 | ▼ 10.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.5% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 250 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 600 MW | 25% of today's fleet | 44th of 149 by size |
250 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Electrical contractors employ 20, at an average $66,308 a year. Unemployment was 4.5% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Entergy Texas Inc. is the largest utility serving Robertson County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 17,839 people live here, up 6.4% since 2020.
Who powers Robertson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +250 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Robertson 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% |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| City of Bryan - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 58,284 | 11.38¢ | 41% |
| Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,672 | 15.75¢ | 21% |
| City of Hearne - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,145 MW | 90% |
| Battery storage | 250 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Grove (TX) | Luminant Generation Company LLC | Coal | 1,795 MW | 2010 |
| Major Oak Power | Major Oak Power, LLC | Coal | 349 MW | 1990 |
| Tidwell Prairie Storage 1 | Tidwell Prairie | Battery storage | 200 MW | 2025 |
| TX11 Republic Road Storage | Key Capture Energy | Battery storage | 50 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tidwell Prairie II | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Tidwell Prairie IIA LLC |
| Barton Branch IA | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Barton Branch IA LLC |
| Bee Branch IA | Batteries | 200 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Bee Branch IA, LLC |
The Robertson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,641 | $62,346 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 586 | $67,016 | 1.96 |
| Electrical contractors | 20 | $66,308 | 0.49 |
| Electric utilities | 104 | $140,422 | 6.81 |
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 Robertson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Robertson County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Milam County.
Robertson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Robertson County, Milam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robertson County | 17,839 | ▲ 29.3% | 2,395 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
| Brazos County | 249,088 | ▲ 17.3% | 290 MW | 5 MW | 3 | — |
| Burleson County | 20,549 | ▲ 13.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Falls County | 17,869 | ▼ 4.7% | 941 MW | 500 MW | — | — |
| Leon County | 16,894 | ▲ 22.8% | 209 MW | 815 MW | — | — |
| Limestone County | 22,849 | ▲ 6.2% | 3,088 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 14,226 | ▲ 0.1% | — | 660 MW | — | — |
| Milam County | 26,258 | ▲ 17.8% | 990 MW | 1,364 MW | 1 | 1 |
More of Texas
Robertson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Robertson County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Robertson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Texas Inc., Texas-New Mexico Power Co, City of Bryan - (TX), Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Entergy Texas Inc., charged residential customers 13.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Robertson County?
4 operating plants with 2,395 MW of capacity. The largest is Oak Grove (TX) (1,795 MW, coal).
How much new power is planned in Robertson County?
600 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 600 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Tidwell Prairie IIA LLC.
Are there data centers in Robertson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Robertson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Milam County.
Is Robertson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,641 jobs in 2025 against 4,364 in 2019 (+29.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 349 to 586.
Does Robertson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Robertson County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.