Citrus County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Inverness and Crystal River
Citrus County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Owners plan to retire 1,478 MW more by 2035, led by Crystal River in 2034. Citrus County is home to Inverness and Crystal River. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Its power plants have 3,524 MW of capacity, 56% of it natural gas, the 7th largest fleet in Florida. 100 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Duke Energy Florida, LLC (battery storage), the 10th largest pipeline among Florida's counties. 100 MW of it is already under construction or built.
Cities and towns in Citrus County
Citrus County is home to Inverness and Crystal River.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beverly Hills, Black Diamond, Citrus Hills, Citrus Springs, Floral City, Hernando, Homosassa, Homosassa Springs, Inverness Highlands North, Inverness Highlands South, Lecanto, Pine Ridge, Sugarmill Woods.
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 Citrus County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 154,563 | 171,666 | ▲ 11.1% | 32nd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32,436 | 35,256 | ▲ 8.7% | 35th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,122 | $50,429 | ▲ 32.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,880 | 3,073 | ▲ 6.7% | 47th of 59 by growth |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20 | 56 | ▲ 180.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 654 | 426 | ▼ 34.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9 | 15 | ▲ 66.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 6.7% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 75 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 100 MW | 3% of today's fleet | 10th of 18 by size |
Unemployment was 6.7% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Construction employs 3,073, up 6.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 35,256 jobs in 2025, up 8.7% from 2019. 75 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 171,666 people live here, up 11.1% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 368, at an average $60,378 a year. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Citrus County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities.
Who powers Citrus County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +75 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Citrus County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,793,067 | 16.63¢ | 38% |
| Withlacoochee River Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 229,375 | 12.35¢ | 23% |
| Sumter Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 228,855 | 13.09¢ | 7% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,971 MW | 56% |
| Coal | 1,478 MW | 42% |
| Solar | 75 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal River | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Natural gas | 3,449 MW | 1982 |
| Bay Trail Solar Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2022 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powerline Energy Storage | Batteries | 100 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2027 | Duke Energy Florida, LLC |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal River | Coal | 1,478 MW | 2034 |
The Citrus County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 35,256 | $50,429 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,073 | $58,001 | 1.65 |
| Electrical contractors | 368 | $60,378 | 1.45 |
| Power and communication line construction | 56 | $79,839 | 0.98 |
| Electric utilities | 426 | $136,685 | 4.46 |
| Data processing and hosting | 15 | $34,177 | 0.14 |
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 Citrus County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-05 |
Citrus County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Citrus County, Levy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citrus County | 171,666 | ▲ 8.7% | 3,524 MW | 100 MW | — | 1 |
| Hernando County | 221,701 | ▲ 12.2% | 75 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Levy County | 48,520 | ▲ 2.3% | 224 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marion County | 442,660 | ▲ 15.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sumter County | 157,772 | ▲ 33.8% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of Florida
Citrus County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Citrus County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Citrus County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Withlacoochee River Elec Coop, Sumter Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Citrus County?
2 operating plants with 3,524 MW of capacity. The largest is Crystal River (3,449 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Citrus County?
100 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 100 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Duke Energy Florida, LLC.
Are there data centers in Citrus County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Citrus County.
Is Citrus County adding jobs?
Employers counted 35,256 jobs in 2025 against 32,436 in 2019 (+8.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,880 to 3,073.
Does Citrus County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Citrus County, 1 in force.