Charlotte County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Punta Gorda
Charlotte County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Charlotte County is home to Punta Gorda. Construction employs 5,154, up 23.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 57,200 jobs in 2025, up 17.4% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 67 Florida counties). Unemployment was 5.9% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Next door, DeSoto County has 1 data center.
Cities and towns in Charlotte County
Charlotte County is home to Punta Gorda.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Park, Cleveland, Englewood, Grove City, Harbour Heights, Manasota Key, Port Charlotte, Rotonda, Solana.
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 Charlotte County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 188,023 | 217,212 | ▲ 15.5% | 28th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 48,722 | 57,200 | ▲ 17.4% | 10th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,350 | $55,186 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,175 | 5,154 | ▲ 23.4% | 23rd of 59 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6 | 40 | ▲ 566.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.9% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 149 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
149 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 217,212 people live here, up 15.5% since 2020. Its power plants have 236 MW of capacity, 95% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 466, at an average $54,785 a year. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Charlotte County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Charlotte County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +149 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Charlotte 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% |
| Lee County Electric Coop, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 231,142 | 13.54¢ | 28% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 224 MW | 95% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 4% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babcock Solar Energy Center Hybrid | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 84 MW | 2016 |
| Babcock Preserve | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2020 |
| Green Pasture | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2025 |
| Port Charlotte Energy LLC | Port Charlotte Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2011 |
The Charlotte County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 57,200 | $55,186 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,154 | $60,020 | 1.70 |
| Electrical contractors | 466 | $54,785 | 1.13 |
| Data processing and hosting | 40 | $108,681 | 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 Charlotte County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Charlotte County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: DeSoto County, Hendry County, Sarasota County.
Charlotte County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Charlotte County, Lee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte County | 217,212 | ▲ 17.4% | 236 MW | — | — | — |
| DeSoto County | 37,078 | ▲ 6.1% | 625 MW | 149 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Glades County | 13,270 | ▲ 11.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hendry County | 48,276 | ▲ 7.6% | 720 MW | 149 MW | — | 1 |
| Highlands County | 111,122 | ▲ 4.3% | 62 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Lee County | 875,607 | ▲ 12.3% | 2,740 MW | — | — | — |
| Sarasota County | 479,958 | ▲ 12.9% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Charlotte County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Charlotte County, Florida?
2 utilities have service territory in Charlotte County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Lee County Electric Coop, Inc - (FL). The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Punta Gorda, FL in?
Punta Gorda is in Charlotte County, Florida. About 20,383 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Charlotte County?
4 operating plants with 236 MW of capacity. The largest is Babcock Solar Energy Center Hybrid (84 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Charlotte County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Charlotte County. The nearest activity on record is next door in DeSoto County.
Is Charlotte County adding jobs?
Employers counted 57,200 jobs in 2025 against 48,722 in 2019 (+17.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,175 to 5,154.
Does Charlotte County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Charlotte County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.