Wise County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Decatur, Bridgeport and Boyd
New generation is lining up in Wise County. Construction employs 2,573, up 57.2% since 2019, and construction is 2.2 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Wise County is home to Decatur, Bridgeport, Boyd and Runaway Bay. 403 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC (battery storage). Its power plants have 2,237 MW of capacity, 94% of it natural gas. 83,778 people live here, up 21.5% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Wise County
Wise County is home to Decatur, Bridgeport, Boyd and Runaway Bay.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Briar, Pecan Acres.
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 Wise County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 68,931 | 83,778 | ▲ 21.5% | 51st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,670 | 21,814 | ▲ 5.5% | 118th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,240 | $62,064 | ▲ 28.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,637 | 2,573 | ▲ 57.2% | 24th of 155 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 30 | 104 | ▲ 246.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.1% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 125 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 403 MW | 18% of today's fleet | 68th of 149 by size |
125 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 21,814 jobs in 2025, up 5.5% from 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Wise County, one of 6 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Wise County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +125 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wise 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 | — | — |
| Denton County Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 298,734 | 13.77¢ | 10% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 118,075 | 12.65¢ | 35% |
| Wise Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,137 | 15.56¢ | 53% |
| Cooke County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,886 | 14.01¢ | 32% |
| City of Bridgeport - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,112 MW | 94% |
| Battery storage | 125 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack County | Jack County Power, LLC | Natural gas | 1,280 MW | 2006 |
| Wise County Power LLC | Wise County Power Company LLC | Natural gas | 822 MW | 2004 |
| Connolly BESS | BT Connolly Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 125 MW | 2024 |
| Bridgeport Gas Processing Plant | EnLink Midstream Services, LLC | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2000 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yooperlite Storage | Batteries | 176 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC |
| Sandford Solar and Storage | Solar Photovoltaic | 126 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC |
| Sandford Solar and Storage | Batteries | 101 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC |
The Wise County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,814 | $62,064 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,573 | $74,567 | 2.23 |
| Power and communication line construction | 104 | $88,031 | 2.95 |
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 Wise County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wise County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Wise County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wise County, Tarrant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise County | 83,778 | ▲ 5.5% | 2,237 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
| Cooke County | 44,461 | ▲ 9.7% | 638 MW | — | — | — |
| Denton County | 1,069,346 | ▲ 22.8% | 1,110 MW | 200 MW | 9 | — |
| Jack County | 9,563 | ▼ 15.8% | 1,030 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Montague County | 21,966 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Parker County | 184,767 | ▲ 22.7% | 3 MW | 773 MW | — | — |
| Tarrant County | 2,248,466 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,484 MW | — | 17 | — |
More of Texas
Wise County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wise County, Texas?
6 utilities have service territory in Wise County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Denton County Elec Coop, Inc, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX), Wise Electric Coop Inc.
What power plants are in Wise County?
4 operating plants with 2,237 MW of capacity. The largest is Jack County (1,280 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Wise County?
403 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Belltown Power Texas 2, LLC.
Are there data centers in Wise County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wise County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Tarrant County.
Is Wise County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,814 jobs in 2025 against 20,670 in 2019 (+5.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,637 to 2,573.
Does Wise County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wise County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.