Taylor County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Abilene, Merkel and Tye
Taylor County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 45 data centers in Taylor County, 10% of Texas's total. Taylor County is home to most of Abilene (125,818 of its 131,588 residents), Merkel, Tye and Tuscola. 299 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by RIC Development, LLC (battery storage). Construction employs 3,685, up 11.3% since 2019. Its power plants have 991 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Taylor County
Taylor County is home to most of Abilene (125,818 of its 131,588 residents), Merkel, Tye and Tuscola.
- Abilene also extends into Jones County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Potosi.
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 Taylor County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 143,484 | 150,077 | ▲ 4.6% | 35th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 64,445 | 68,821 | ▲ 6.8% | 108th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,118 | $58,252 | ▲ 32.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,311 | 3,685 | ▲ 11.3% | 92nd of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 705 | 760 | ▲ 7.8% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 280 | 578 | ▲ 106.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 20 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 299 MW | 30% of today's fleet | 87th of 149 by size |
Employers here counted 68,821 jobs in 2025, up 6.8% from 2019. 20 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Electrical contractors employ 760, up 7.8% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $72,789 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. AEP Texas North Company is the largest utility serving Taylor County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 150,077 people live here, up 4.6% since 2020.
Who powers Taylor County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +20 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Taylor County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| Taylor Electric Coop Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,722 | 15.37¢ | 14% |
| Coleman County Elec Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 970 MW | 98% |
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 2% |
| Natural gas | 1 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center | FPL Energy Horse Hollow LLC | Wind | 736 MW | 2005 |
| Buffalo Gap Wind Farm | AES Distributed Energy | Wind | 121 MW | 2006 |
| Callahan Divide Wind Energy Center | FPL Energy Callahan Wind, LLC | Wind | 114 MW | 2005 |
| DGS Five Points | Distributed Generation Solutions LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2026 |
| Plaza Street | DGSP2 LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2026 |
| HEB00070 | Texas Microgrid, LLC | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chimney Rock BESS | Batteries | 156 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | RIC Development, LLC |
| Summerhill BESS | Batteries | 143 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | RIC Development, LLC |
The Taylor County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 68,821 | $58,252 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,685 | $72,799 | 1.01 |
| Electrical contractors | 760 | $72,789 | 1.53 |
| Electric utilities | 578 | $95,392 | 3.10 |
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 Taylor County
45 data centers in Taylor County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Taylor County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Taylor County, Jones 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | 150,077 | ▲ 6.8% | 991 MW | 299 MW | 45 | — |
| Callahan County | 14,491 | ▲ 18.6% | 676 MW | 415 MW | — | — |
| Coleman County | 7,915 | ▲ 8.6% | — | 396 MW | — | — |
| Fisher County | 3,692 | ▼ 0.5% | 509 MW | 330 MW | — | — |
| Jones County | 20,861 | ▲ 8.2% | 201 MW | 1,418 MW | — | — |
| Nolan County | 14,117 | ▼ 2.2% | 2,772 MW | 831 MW | 1 | — |
| Runnels County | 9,693 | ▲ 6.4% | 125 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Taylor County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Taylor County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Taylor County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas North Company, Taylor Electric Coop Inc - (TX), Coleman County Elec Coop, Inc.
What county is Abilene, TX in?
Most of Abilene is in Taylor County: 125,818 of its 131,588 residents, or 96%. The rest of the city lies in Jones County.
What power plants are in Taylor County?
6 operating plants with 991 MW of capacity. The largest is Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center (736 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Taylor County?
299 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is RIC Development, LLC.
Are there data centers in Taylor County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 45 data centers in Taylor County.
Is Taylor County adding jobs?
Employers counted 68,821 jobs in 2025 against 64,445 in 2019 (+6.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,311 to 3,685.
Does Taylor County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Taylor County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.