Gilchrist County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Trenton
Gilchrist 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. Construction employs 393, up 72.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 44, up 100.0% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $51,759 a year. Gilchrist County is home to Trenton, Bell and part of Fanning Springs (545 of its 1,349 residents). Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Next door, Alachua County has 1 data center.
Cities and towns in Gilchrist County
Gilchrist County is home to Trenton, Bell and part of Fanning Springs (545 of its 1,349 residents).
- Fanning Springs also extends into Levy County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Spring Ridge.
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 Gilchrist County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,890 | 20,488 | ▲ 14.5% | 55th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,562 | 3,833 | ▲ 7.6% | 39th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,778 | $49,269 | ▲ 41.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 228 | 393 | ▲ 72.4% | 3rd of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22 | 44 | ▲ 100.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 5.0% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 235 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
235 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 3,833 jobs in 2025, up 7.6% from 2019. 20,488 people live here, up 14.5% since 2020. Its power plants have 235 MW of capacity, 95% of it solar. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +235 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Gilchrist 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% |
| Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 171,179 | 13.09¢ | 20% |
| Central Florida Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,771 | 13.62¢ | 18% |
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 | 11 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Line Renewable Energy Center | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2024 |
| Trenton Solar Power Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2019 |
| Bell Ridge Solar | Bell Ridge Solar, LLC | Solar | 74 MW | 2023 |
| Trenton | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Battery storage | 11 MW | 2021 |
The Gilchrist County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,833 | $49,269 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 393 | $56,533 | 1.94 |
| Electrical contractors | 44 | $51,759 | 1.59 |
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 Gilchrist County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gilchrist County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Levy County.
Gilchrist County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Gilchrist County, Alachua 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilchrist County | 20,488 | ▲ 7.6% | 235 MW | — | — | — |
| Alachua County | 290,028 | ▲ 5.0% | 957 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Columbia County | 74,094 | ▲ 0.3% | 403 MW | — | — | — |
| Dixie County | 18,038 | ▲ 10.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Lafayette County | 8,792 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Levy County | 48,520 | ▲ 2.3% | 224 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Suwannee County | 48,149 | ▲ 3.1% | 466 MW | — | — | — |
More of Florida
Gilchrist County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gilchrist County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Gilchrist County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL), Central Florida Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Gilchrist County?
4 operating plants with 235 MW of capacity. The largest is County Line Renewable Energy Center (75 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Gilchrist County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gilchrist County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Alachua County.
Is Gilchrist County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,833 jobs in 2025 against 3,562 in 2019 (+7.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 228 to 393.
Does Gilchrist County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gilchrist County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.