Clay County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Green Cove Springs, Orange Park and Keystone Heights
Clay County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Clay County is home to Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, Keystone Heights and Penney Farms. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Electrical contractors employ 612, up 28.3% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $57,961 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Construction employs 4,490, up 1.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Green Cove Springs, Orange Park, Keystone Heights and Penney Farms.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Asbury Lake, Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace, Fleming Island, Lakeside, Middleburg, Oakleaf Plantation.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 218,949 | 239,593 | ▲ 9.4% | 25th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 53,608 | 57,660 | ▲ 7.6% | 41st of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,435 | $61,207 | ▲ 51.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,438 | 4,490 | ▲ 1.2% | 52nd of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 477 | 612 | ▲ 28.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 224 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
224 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 57,660 jobs in 2025, up 7.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 224 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. 239,593 people live here, up 9.4% since 2020. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Clay County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +224 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Clay 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% |
| JEA | Municipal | Bundled | 470,564 | 12.43¢ | 32% |
| Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 171,179 | 13.09¢ | 20% |
| City of Green Cove Springs | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 224 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anhinga Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2023 |
| Magnolia Springs Solar Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2021 |
| Terrill Creek | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 57,660 | $61,207 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,490 | $61,936 | 1.47 |
| Electrical contractors | 612 | $57,961 | 1.47 |
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 Clay County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 |
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Clay County, Duval 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 239,593 | ▲ 7.6% | 224 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Baker County | 29,737 | ▼ 1.5% | 298 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Bradford County | 28,307 | ▲ 51.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Duval County | 1,062,963 | ▲ 7.0% | 3,054 MW | 174 MW | 14 | — |
| Putnam County | 77,734 | ▲ 7.5% | 2,500 MW | — | — | 1 |
| St. Johns County | 346,328 | ▲ 27.4% | 74 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Florida?
4 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, JEA, Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL), City of Green Cove Springs. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Green Cove Springs, FL in?
Green Cove Springs is in Clay County, Florida. About 10,079 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Clay County?
3 operating plants with 224 MW of capacity. The largest is Anhinga Solar Energy Center (74 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Duval County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 57,660 jobs in 2025 against 53,608 in 2019 (+7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,438 to 4,490.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Clay County, 1 in force.