Hernando County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brooksville
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Hernando County. Hernando County is home to Brooksville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Construction employs 3,526, up 15.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 50,575 jobs in 2025, up 12.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Hernando County
Hernando County is home to Brooksville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Aripeka, Bayport, Brookridge, Garden Grove, Hernando Beach, High Point, Hill 'n Dale, Istachatta, Lake Lindsey, Masaryktown, Nobleton, North Brooksville, North Weeki Wachee, Pine Island, Ridge Manor, South Brooksville, Spring Hill, Spring Lake, Timber Pines, Weeki Wachee Gardens, Wiscon.
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 Hernando County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 195,610 | 221,701 | ▲ 13.3% | 27th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 45,069 | 50,575 | ▲ 12.2% | 23rd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,093 | $51,904 | ▲ 36.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,043 | 3,526 | ▲ 15.9% | 34th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 251 | 294 | ▲ 17.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 5.4% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 75 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 294, up 17.1% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $52,224 a year. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Hernando (other technologies, 2 MW, 2025). 75 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 221,701 people live here, up 13.3% since 2020. Its power plants have 75 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Hernando 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 Hernando County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +73 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hernando 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 75 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rattler Solar Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2025 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hernando | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Hernando County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 50,575 | $51,904 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,526 | $54,911 | 1.32 |
| Electrical contractors | 294 | $52,224 | 0.81 |
| Power and communication line construction | 18 | $59,782 | 0.22 |
| Data processing and hosting | 70 | $184,022 | 0.45 |
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 Hernando County
Local measures 2
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-06 | |
| Hernando County (1-year data center moratorium), FL data center moratorium (proposed) | Proposed | 2026-06 |
Hernando County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Hernando County, Pasco 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hernando County | 221,701 | ▲ 12.2% | 75 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Citrus County | 171,666 | ▲ 8.7% | 3,524 MW | 100 MW | — | 1 |
| Pasco County | 674,516 | ▲ 23.5% | 1,809 MW | 629 MW | — | 1 |
| Sumter County | 157,772 | ▲ 33.8% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
More of Florida
Hernando County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hernando County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Hernando 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 county is Brooksville, FL in?
Brooksville is in Hernando County, Florida. About 10,145 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hernando County?
1 operating plant with 75 MW of capacity. The largest is Rattler Solar Plant (75 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Hernando County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hernando County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pasco County.
Is Hernando County adding jobs?
Employers counted 50,575 jobs in 2025 against 45,069 in 2019 (+12.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,043 to 3,526.
Does Hernando County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 2 local measures for Hernando County, 1 in force.