Bay County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Panama City, Lynn Haven and Panama City Beach
Bay County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Bay County is home to Panama City, Lynn Haven, Panama City Beach and Callaway. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “County moratorium on data centers through January 8, 2027”. Construction employs 6,935, up 13.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 83,251 jobs in 2025, up 11.5% from 2019. 299 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Bay County
Bay County is home to Panama City, Lynn Haven, Panama City Beach and Callaway.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cedar Grove, Laguna Beach, Lower Grand Lagoon, Pretty Bayou, Tyndall AFB, Upper Grand Lagoon.
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 Bay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 174,551 | 204,479 | ▲ 17.1% | 30th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 74,682 | 83,251 | ▲ 11.5% | 27th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,649 | $55,560 | ▲ 27.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,113 | 6,935 | ▲ 13.4% | 39th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 672 | 751 | ▲ 11.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.4% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 299 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 48 MW | — |
204,479 people live here, up 17.1% since 2020. 48 MW has retired here since 2019, including WestRock Panama City Mill (other technologies, 34 MW, 2022). Its power plants have 961 MW of capacity, 65% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 751, up 11.8% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $70,965 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Bay County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Bay County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +252 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bay 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% |
| Gulf Coast Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,220 | 14.67¢ | 20% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 620 MW | 65% |
| Solar | 299 MW | 31% |
| Petroleum | 42 MW | 4% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansing Smith | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 662 MW | 1971 |
| Bay Ranch Solar Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2023 |
| Mule Creek Renewable Energy Center | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2024 |
| Sandy Creek Solar Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2022 |
| FPL Saw Palmetto Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2023 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| WestRock Panama City Mill | Other technologies | 34 MW | 2022 |
| Bay County Waste to Energy | Other technologies | 14 MW | 2021 |
The Bay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 83,251 | $55,560 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,935 | $64,515 | 1.57 |
| Electrical contractors | 751 | $70,965 | 1.25 |
| Electric utilities | 124 | $96,261 | 0.55 |
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 Bay County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| County moratorium on data centers through January 8, 2027 | In force | 2026-01 |
Bay County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Bay County, Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay County | 204,479 | ▲ 11.5% | 961 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Calhoun County | 13,289 | ▲ 13.6% | 820 MW | 149 MW | — | — |
| Gulf County | 15,943 | ▲ 26.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 49,629 | ▼ 0.6% | 228 MW | 75 MW | — | 2 |
| Walton County | 93,288 | ▲ 29.4% | 298 MW | 74 MW | — | 1 |
| Washington County | 26,695 | ▲ 4.9% | 74 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Bay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bay County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Bay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Gulf Coast Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Panama City, FL in?
Panama City is in Bay County, Florida. About 37,806 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Lynn Haven, FL in?
Lynn Haven is in Bay County, Florida. About 22,479 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Panama City Beach, FL in?
Panama City Beach is in Bay County, Florida. About 20,375 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bay County?
5 operating plants with 961 MW of capacity. The largest is Lansing Smith (662 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Bay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bay County.
Is Bay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 83,251 jobs in 2025 against 74,682 in 2019 (+11.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,113 to 6,935.
Does Bay County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Bay County, 1 in force.