Escambia County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pensacola and Century
Escambia County hosts some of the generating capacity Florida runs on. Escambia County is home to Pensacola and Century. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers with no end date”. 1,270 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 2,657 MW of capacity, 84% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Escambia County
Escambia County is home to Pensacola and Century.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bellview, Brent, Ensley, Ferry Pass, Gonzalez, Goulding, Molino, Myrtle Grove, Pensacola Station, Warrington, West Pensacola.
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 Escambia County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 322,547 | 333,834 | ▲ 3.5% | 22nd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 138,581 | 146,971 | ▲ 6.1% | 48th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,766 | $62,707 | ▲ 37.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,565 | 9,460 | ▲ 10.4% | 44th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,226 | 1,168 | ▼ 4.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 82 | 211 | ▲ 157.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14 | 25 | ▲ 78.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,270 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 9,460, up 10.4% since 2019. Employers here counted 146,971 jobs in 2025, up 6.1% from 2019. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Escambia County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024. Electrical contractors employ 1,168, down 4.7% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $68,565 a year. 333,834 people live here, up 3.5% since 2020.
Who powers Escambia County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,270 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Escambia 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% |
| Escambia River Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,914 | 15.27¢ | 20% |
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 10
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,223 MW | 84% |
| Solar | 348 MW | 13% |
| Other technologies | 86 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Clean Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 2,108 MW | 1959 |
| Pensacola Florida Plant | Ascend Performance Materials LLC | Natural gas | 102 MW | 1953 |
| International Paper Pensacola | International Paper Co-Pensacola | Other technologies | 83 MW | 1981 |
| Cotton Creek Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2021 |
| First City Solar Energy Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2023 |
| Mitchell Creek | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
The Escambia County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 146,971 | $62,707 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 9,460 | $69,971 | 1.21 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,168 | $68,565 | 1.10 |
| Power and communication line construction | 211 | $100,019 | 0.89 |
| Data processing and hosting | 25 | $78,808 | 0.05 |
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 Escambia County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers with no end date | In force | 2026-08 |
Escambia County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Escambia County, Santa Rosa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Escambia County | 333,834 | ▲ 6.1% | 2,657 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Baldwin County AL | 267,761 | ▲ 15.1% | — | 80 MW | — | — |
| Escambia County AL | 36,665 | ▲ 0.6% | 183 MW | — | — | — |
| Santa Rosa County | 211,115 | ▲ 11.8% | 552 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Escambia County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Escambia County, Florida?
2 utilities have service territory in Escambia County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Escambia River Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Pensacola, FL in?
Pensacola is in Escambia County, Florida. About 53,817 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Escambia County?
10 operating plants with 2,657 MW of capacity. The largest is Gulf Clean Energy Center (2,108 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Escambia County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Escambia County.
Is Escambia County adding jobs?
Employers counted 146,971 jobs in 2025 against 138,581 in 2019 (+6.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 8,565 to 9,460.
Does Escambia County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Escambia County, 1 in force.