Alachua County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gainesville, Alachua and Newberry
The data center boom is not abstract in Alachua County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Alachua County. Alachua County is home to Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry and High Springs. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Alachua Phoenix Commercial Park (rumored data center). Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 50 MW has retired here since 2019, including John R Kelly (natural gas, 50 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in Alachua County
Alachua County is home to Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry and High Springs.
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 Alachua County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 279,767 | 290,028 | ▲ 3.7% | 24th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 134,190 | 140,869 | ▲ 5.0% | 51st of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,116 | $66,043 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,626 | 5,852 | ▲ 4.0% | 49th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 843 | 911 | ▲ 8.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33 | 131 | ▲ 297.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 5.4% | ▲ 2.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 203 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 50 MW | — |
203 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Owners plan to retire 124 MW more by 2035, led by Deerhaven Generating Station in 2032. Its power plants have 957 MW of capacity, 71% of it natural gas. Construction employs 5,852, up 4.0% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 911, up 8.1% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $57,281 a year. Employers here counted 140,869 jobs in 2025, up 5.0% from 2019. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Alachua County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024. 290,028 people live here, up 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers Alachua County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +153 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Alachua County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,236,277 | 13.71¢ | 41% |
| Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,793,067 | 16.63¢ | 38% |
| Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 171,179 | 13.09¢ | 20% |
| Gainesville Regional Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 92,968 | 14.87¢ | 43% |
| Central Florida Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,771 | 13.62¢ | 18% |
| City of Alachua - (FL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Newberry - (FL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 678 MW | 71% |
| Solar | 154 MW | 16% |
| Other technologies | 116 MW | 12% |
| Battery storage | 8 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deerhaven Generating Station | Gainesville Regional Utilities | Natural gas | 471 MW | 1972 |
| John R Kelly | Gainesville Regional Utilities | Natural gas | 142 MW | 2001 |
| Deerhaven Renewable | Gainesville Regional Utilities | Other technologies | 116 MW | 2013 |
| High Springs Solar Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2023 |
| Gilchrist County Solar | FRP Gilchrist County Solar, LLC | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
| University of Florida | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 54 MW | 1994 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| John R Kelly | Natural gas | 50 MW | 2021 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deerhaven Generating Station | Natural gas | 75 MW | 2032 |
| Deerhaven Generating Station | Natural gas | 49 MW | 2031 |
The Alachua County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 140,869 | $66,043 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,852 | $64,810 | 0.78 |
| Electrical contractors | 911 | $57,281 | 0.90 |
| Power and communication line construction | 52 | $65,407 | 0.23 |
| Data processing and hosting | 131 | $96,044 | 0.30 |
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 Alachua County
1 data center in Alachua County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua Phoenix Commercial Park (rumored data center) | rumored no application filed | — |
Alachua County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Alachua County, Putnam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | 290,028 | ▲ 5.0% | 957 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Bradford County | 28,307 | ▲ 51.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Columbia County | 74,094 | ▲ 0.3% | 403 MW | — | — | — |
| Gilchrist County | 20,488 | ▲ 7.6% | 235 MW | — | — | — |
| Levy County | 48,520 | ▲ 2.3% | 224 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marion County | 442,660 | ▲ 15.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Putnam County | 77,734 | ▲ 7.5% | 2,500 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Union County | 16,250 | ▲ 4.9% | 74 MW | — | — | — |
More of Florida
Alachua County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Alachua County, Florida?
7 utilities have service territory in Alachua County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL), Gainesville Regional Utilities. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Gainesville, FL in?
Gainesville is in Alachua County, Florida. About 148,671 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Alachua, FL in?
Alachua is in Alachua County, Florida. About 10,612 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Alachua County?
12 operating plants with 957 MW of capacity. The largest is Deerhaven Generating Station (471 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Alachua County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Alachua County.
Is Alachua County adding jobs?
Employers counted 140,869 jobs in 2025 against 134,190 in 2019 (+5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,626 to 5,852.
Does Alachua County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Alachua County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.