Hillsborough County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tampa and Plant City, and the communities of Egypt Lake-Leto and East Lake-Orient Park
The data center boom is not abstract in Hillsborough County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 17 data centers in Hillsborough County, 15% of Florida's total. Its power plants have 5,140 MW of capacity, 81% of it natural gas, the 3rd largest fleet in Florida. Hillsborough County is home to Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace, plus the unincorporated communities of Egypt Lake-Leto, East Lake-Orient Park and Brandon. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. 1,604 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas.
Cities and towns in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County is home to Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace, plus the unincorporated communities of Egypt Lake-Leto, East Lake-Orient Park and Brandon.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Egypt Lake-Leto, East Lake-Orient Park, Brandon, Apollo Beach, Balm, Bloomingdale, Carrollwood, Cheval, Citrus Park, Dover, Fish Hawk, Gibsonton, Keystone, Lake Magdalene, Lutz, Mango, Northdale, Palm River-Clair Mel, Pebble Creek, Progress Village, Riverview, Ruskin, Seffner, Sun City Center, Thonotosassa, Town 'n' Country, University, Valrico, Westchase, Wimauma.
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 Hillsborough County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,466,246 | 1,574,115 | ▲ 7.4% | 4th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 707,611 | 795,729 | ▲ 12.5% | 21st of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $56,407 | $77,998 | ▲ 38.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 42,548 | 52,717 | ▲ 23.9% | 21st of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,662 | 6,757 | ▲ 19.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,684 | 3,397 | ▲ 26.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,604 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 932 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 74 MW | 1% of today's fleet | 18th of 18 by size |
932 MW has retired here since 2019, including Big Bend (coal, 446 MW, 2021). Construction employs 52,717, up 23.9% since 2019. 74 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Tampa Electric Co (solar). 74 MW of it is already under construction or built. Employers here counted 795,729 jobs in 2025, up 12.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 6,757, up 19.3% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $73,561 a year. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Hillsborough 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. 1,574,115 people live here, up 7.4% since 2020, 4th of 67 Florida counties by population.
Who powers Hillsborough County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +673 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hillsborough 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% |
| Tampa Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 757,280 | 14.67¢ | 41% |
| Peace River Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 57,589 | 12.35¢ | 31% |
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 25
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 4,166 MW | 81% |
| Solar | 743 MW | 14% |
| Other technologies | 144 MW | 3% |
| Battery storage | 88 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H L Culbreath Bayside Power Station | Tampa Electric Co | Natural gas | 2,294 MW | 1965 |
| Big Bend | Tampa Electric Co | Natural gas | 1,797 MW | 1970 |
| Wimauma Solar and Battery Storage | Tampa Electric Co | Solar | 115 MW | 2020 |
| South Tampa Resilience Project | Tampa Electric Co | Natural gas | 75 MW | 2025 |
| Bullfrog Creek Solar | Tampa Electric Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
| Cottonmouth Ranch Solar | Tampa Electric Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2025 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keene Branch Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 74 MW | Under construction (>50%) | 2026 | Tampa Electric Co |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bend | Coal | 446 MW | 2021 |
| Big Bend | Natural gas | 446 MW | 2023 |
| The Mosaic Company, Plant City Facility | Other technologies | 40 MW | 2019 |
The Hillsborough County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 795,729 | $77,998 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 52,717 | $80,733 | 1.25 |
| Electrical contractors | 6,757 | $73,561 | 1.18 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,162 | $83,695 | 0.90 |
| Data processing and hosting | 3,397 | $153,358 | 1.37 |
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 Hillsborough County
17 data centers in Hillsborough County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-08 |
Hillsborough County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hillsborough County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County | 1,574,115 | ▲ 12.5% | 5,140 MW | 74 MW | 17 | 1 |
| Hardee County | 25,932 | ▲ 6.3% | 2,201 MW | — | — | — |
| Manatee County | 468,200 | ▲ 11.9% | 4,152 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pasco County | 674,516 | ▲ 23.5% | 1,809 MW | 629 MW | — | 1 |
| Pinellas County | 948,563 | ▲ 0.3% | 1,727 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 874,790 | ▲ 16.1% | 6,676 MW | 112 MW | 5 | — |
More of Florida
Hillsborough County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hillsborough County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Hillsborough County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Tampa Electric Co, Peace River Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Tampa, FL in?
Tampa is in Hillsborough County, Florida. About 413,554 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Plant City, FL in?
Plant City is in Hillsborough County, Florida. About 44,118 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Temple Terrace, FL in?
Temple Terrace is in Hillsborough County, Florida. About 27,075 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hillsborough County?
25 operating plants with 5,140 MW of capacity. The largest is H L Culbreath Bayside Power Station (2,294 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Hillsborough County?
74 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 74 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Tampa Electric Co.
Are there data centers in Hillsborough County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 17 data centers in Hillsborough County.
Is Hillsborough County adding jobs?
Employers counted 795,729 jobs in 2025 against 707,611 in 2019 (+12.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 42,548 to 52,717.
Does Hillsborough County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Hillsborough County, 0 in force.