Brevard County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Palm Bay, Melbourne and Titusville
Brevard County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Brevard County. Brevard County is home to Palm Bay, Melbourne, Titusville and Rockledge. Its power plants have 3,705 MW of capacity, 87% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Florida. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Construction employs 16,176, up 8.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Brevard County
Brevard County is home to Palm Bay, Melbourne, Titusville and Rockledge.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cocoa West, June Park, Merritt Island, Micco, Mims, North Merritt Island, Patrick AFB, Port St. John, Scottsmoor, Sharpes, South Patrick Shores, Tropical Park, Viera East, Viera West, West Canaveral Groves.
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 Brevard County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 608,765 | 663,982 | ▲ 9.1% | 11th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 222,374 | 243,568 | ▲ 9.5% | 33rd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,748 | $70,833 | ▲ 36.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,965 | 16,176 | ▲ 8.1% | 46th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,548 | 1,835 | ▲ 18.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 978 | 1,055 | ▲ 7.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 129 | 171 | ▲ 32.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 372 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 1,835, up 18.5% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $64,618 a year. 372 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 243,568 jobs in 2025, up 9.5% from 2019. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including Brevard (other technologies, 3 MW, 2020). 663,982 people live here, up 9.1% since 2020. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Brevard County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Brevard County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +369 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brevard 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% |
| Peace River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 57,589 | 12.35¢ | 31% |
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 | 3,241 MW | 87% |
| Solar | 457 MW | 12% |
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Canaveral | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 1,295 MW | 2013 |
| Oleander Power Project LP | Oleander Holdings LLC | Natural gas | 994 MW | 2002 |
| Indian River | Orlando Utilities Comm | Natural gas | 609 MW | 1960 |
| Indian River Plant | Orlando Utilities Comm | Natural gas | 343 MW | 1989 |
| Barefoot Bay Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2018 |
| Discovery Solar Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2021 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2020 |
The Brevard County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 243,568 | $70,833 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,176 | $71,094 | 1.25 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,835 | $64,618 | 1.04 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,055 | $94,197 | 2.68 |
| Electric utilities | 251 | $162,589 | 0.38 |
| Data processing and hosting | 171 | $105,369 | 0.23 |
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 Brevard County
2 data centers in Brevard County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Brevard County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Brevard County, Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevard County | 663,982 | ▲ 9.5% | 3,705 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Indian River County | 172,799 | ▲ 7.6% | 372 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Orange County | 1,528,002 | ▲ 9.9% | 2,223 MW | — | 12 | 1 |
| Osceola County | 481,718 | ▲ 18.3% | 2,720 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Seminole County | 491,884 | ▲ 6.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Volusia County | 606,573 | ▲ 7.7% | 3,324 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Florida
Brevard County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brevard County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Brevard County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Peace River Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Palm Bay, FL in?
Palm Bay is in Brevard County, Florida. About 148,092 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Melbourne, FL in?
Melbourne is in Brevard County, Florida. About 87,097 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Titusville, FL in?
Titusville is in Brevard County, Florida. About 49,800 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Brevard County?
12 operating plants with 3,705 MW of capacity. The largest is Cape Canaveral (1,295 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Brevard County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Brevard County.
Is Brevard County adding jobs?
Employers counted 243,568 jobs in 2025 against 222,374 in 2019 (+9.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 14,965 to 16,176.
Does Brevard County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brevard County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.