Ward County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Monahans
Ward County is a generation frontier for Texas. Construction employs 928, up 148.8% since 2019, and construction is 2.8 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 2,335 MW of new generation is planned here across 7 units, led by CPV Basin Ranch (natural gas), the 3rd largest pipeline among Texas's counties. 2,335 MW of it is already under construction or built. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Ward County. Ward County is home to Monahans and Thorntonville. 151 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Ward County
Ward County is home to Monahans and Thorntonville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Southwest Sandhill.
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 Ward County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 11,679 | 11,125 | ▼ 4.7% | 159th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,245 | 6,374 | ▲ 2.1% | 142nd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $65,553 | $85,832 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 373 | 928 | ▲ 148.8% | 6th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.0% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 151 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2,335 MW | 391% of today's fleet | 3rd of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 598 MW of capacity, 78% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 6,374 jobs in 2025, up 2.1% from 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Ward County, one of 2 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 11,125 people live here, down 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers Ward County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +151 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ward 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 | — | — |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 467 MW | 78% |
| Battery storage | 131 MW | 22% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permian Basin | Luminant Generation Company LLC | Natural gas | 447 MW | 1988 |
| Swoose II | Swoose II | Battery storage | 101 MW | 2022 |
| Cedarvale Gas | RPC Merchant, LLC | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2026 |
| Pyote Gas | RPC Merchant, LLC | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2026 |
| Lonestar | HEN Infrastructure, L.L.C. | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2022 |
| Rattlesnake (TX) | HEN Infrastructure, L.L.C. | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 7
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPV Basin Ranch Energy Center | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 722 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2029 | CPV Basin Ranch |
| CPV Basin Ranch Energy Center | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 722 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2029 | CPV Basin Ranch |
| Vast Sands Power | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 440 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Permian Power I LLC |
| Vast Sands Power | Natural Gas Fired Combustion Turbine | 440 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Permian Power I LLC |
| Staghorn Gas | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 3 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RPC Merchant, LLC |
| Staghorn Gas | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 3 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RPC Merchant, LLC |
| Staghorn Gas | Natural Gas Internal Combustion Engine | 3 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | RPC Merchant, LLC |
The Ward County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,374 | $85,832 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 928 | $99,726 | 2.75 |
| Data processing and hosting | 74 | $121,850 | 3.74 |
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 Ward County
3 data centers in Ward County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Ward County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Ward County, Pecos 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ward County | 11,125 | ▲ 2.1% | 598 MW | 2,335 MW | 3 | — |
| Crane County | 4,554 | ▲ 18.0% | 503 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Ector County | 173,801 | ▼ 0.7% | 2,934 MW | 344 MW | — | — |
| Loving County | 52 | ▲ 302.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Pecos County | 14,560 | ▼ 5.0% | 3,731 MW | 1,098 MW | 3 | — |
| Reeves County | 12,138 | ▼ 13.0% | 621 MW | 320 MW | 5 | — |
| Winkler County | 7,540 | ▲ 18.2% | 250 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Ward County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ward County, Texas?
2 utilities have service territory in Ward County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Texas-New Mexico Power Co.
What power plants are in Ward County?
7 operating plants with 598 MW of capacity. The largest is Permian Basin (447 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Ward County?
2,335 MW across 7 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2,335 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is CPV Basin Ranch.
Are there data centers in Ward County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Ward County.
Is Ward County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,374 jobs in 2025 against 6,245 in 2019 (+2.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 373 to 928.
Does Ward County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ward County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.