Calhoun County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Blountstown
Calhoun County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Calhoun County is home to Blountstown. 149 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Florida Power & Light Co (solar), the 7th largest pipeline among Florida's counties. 149 MW of it is already under construction or built. Construction employs 242, up 13.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 820 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 3,247 jobs in 2025, up 13.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Calhoun County
Calhoun County is home to Blountstown.
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 Calhoun County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,703 | 13,289 | ▼ 3.0% | 63rd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,858 | 3,247 | ▲ 13.6% | 17th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,547 | $44,247 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 214 | 242 | ▲ 13.1% | 40th of 59 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.1% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 820 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 149 MW | 18% of today's fleet | 7th of 18 by size |
Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 820 MW of capacity, 64% of it solar. West Florida El Coop Assn, Inc is the largest utility serving Calhoun County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.36¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities. 13,289 people live here, down 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Calhoun County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +820 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Calhoun County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Florida El Coop Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 26,357 | 16.36¢ | 14% |
| Florida Public Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 25,560 | 18.01¢ | 44% |
| Gulf Coast Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,220 | 14.67¢ | 20% |
| City of Blountstown - (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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 522 MW | 64% |
| Battery storage | 298 MW | 36% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FPL Chipola River Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 149 MW | 2023 |
| FPL Shirer Branch Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 149 MW | 2023 |
| Fourmile Creek | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 149 MW | 2024 |
| Tenmile Creek | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 149 MW | 2025 |
| Big Brook | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2026 |
| FPL Flowers Creek Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2023 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinecone | Solar Photovoltaic | 74 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Florida Power & Light Co |
| Saddle | Solar Photovoltaic | 74 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Florida Power & Light Co |
The Calhoun County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,247 | $44,247 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 242 | $48,650 | 1.41 |
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 Calhoun County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Calhoun County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Bay County, Jackson County.
Calhoun County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Calhoun County, Bay 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | 13,289 | ▲ 13.6% | 820 MW | 149 MW | — | — |
| Bay County | 204,479 | ▲ 11.5% | 961 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Gadsden County | 44,298 | ▲ 3.4% | 196 MW | — | — | — |
| Gulf County | 15,943 | ▲ 26.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 49,629 | ▼ 0.6% | 228 MW | 75 MW | — | 2 |
| Liberty County | 8,035 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Florida
Calhoun County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Calhoun County, Florida?
4 utilities have service territory in Calhoun County in the EIA-861 2024 report: West Florida El Coop Assn, Inc, Florida Public Utilities Co, Gulf Coast Electric Coop, Inc, City of Blountstown - (FL). The largest, West Florida El Coop Assn, Inc, charged residential customers 16.36¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Calhoun County?
7 operating plants with 820 MW of capacity. The largest is FPL Chipola River Solar Energy Center (149 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Calhoun County?
149 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 149 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Florida Power & Light Co.
Are there data centers in Calhoun County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Calhoun County.
Is Calhoun County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,247 jobs in 2025 against 2,858 in 2019 (+13.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 214 to 242.
Does Calhoun County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Calhoun County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.