Sterling County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sterling City
Sterling County is a generation frontier for Texas. Sterling County is home to Sterling City. 356 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by RWE Clean Energy (wind). 180 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 1,474 MW of capacity, 90% of it wind. 416 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Sterling County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Cities and towns in Sterling County
Sterling County is home to Sterling City.
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 Sterling County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,383 | 1,349 | ▼ 2.5% | 241st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 525 | 519 | ▼ 1.1% | 175th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,189 | $61,293 | ▲ 35.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 416 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 356 MW | 24% of today's fleet | 74th of 149 by size |
Employers here counted 519 jobs in 2025, down 1.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 1,349 people live here, down 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Sterling County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +416 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sterling County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 3,477,215 | — | — |
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| Concho Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,060 | 12.73¢ | 4% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1,329 MW | 90% |
| Solar | 145 MW | 10% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capricorn Ridge Wind LLC | Capricorn Ridge Wind LLC | Wind | 662 MW | 2007 |
| Lacy Creek Wind Energy Center | Lacy Creek Wind, LLC | Wind | 301 MW | 2022 |
| Panther Creek Wind Farm Three | RWE Clean Energy | Wind | 216 MW | 2009 |
| Goat Wind LP | Goat Wind LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2008 |
| Bluebell Solar II | Bluebell Solar II, LLC | Solar | 115 MW | 2020 |
| Bluebell Solar | Bluebell Solar, LLC | Solar | 30 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey Mesquite Wind, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | 180 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RWE Clean Energy |
| Bob Creek Wind, LLC | Onshore Wind Turbine | 175 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Bob Creek Wind, LLC |
The Sterling County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 519 | $61,293 | 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 Sterling County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sterling County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Tom Green County.
Sterling County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Sterling County, Glasscock 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling County | 1,349 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,474 MW | 356 MW | — | — |
| Coke County | 3,412 | ▲ 22.0% | 527 MW | 484 MW | — | — |
| Glasscock County | 1,128 | ▲ 60.7% | 743 MW | 613 MW | 1 | — |
| Howard County | 30,504 | ▼ 12.5% | 657 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 8,947 | ▲ 10.1% | 688 MW | 276 MW | — | — |
| Reagan County | 3,166 | ▼ 20.4% | 310 MW | — | — | — |
| Tom Green County | 120,602 | ▲ 4.2% | 818 MW | 316 MW | — | 1 |
More of Texas
Sterling County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sterling County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Sterling County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, AEP Texas North Company, Concho Valley Elec Coop Inc.
What power plants are in Sterling County?
6 operating plants with 1,474 MW of capacity. The largest is Capricorn Ridge Wind LLC (662 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Sterling County?
356 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 180 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is RWE Clean Energy.
Are there data centers in Sterling County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sterling County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Glasscock County.
Is Sterling County adding jobs?
Employers counted 519 jobs in 2025 against 525 in 2019 (-1.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Sterling County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sterling County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.