Lake County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Clermont, Leesburg and Groveland
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Lake County. Lake County is home to Clermont, Leesburg, Groveland and Eustis. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through December 7, 2026”. Construction employs 11,815, up 19.8% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 118,622 jobs in 2025, up 17.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Lake County
Lake County is home to Clermont, Leesburg, Groveland and Eustis.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Altoona, Astor, Ferndale, Four Corners, Lake Kathryn, Lake Mack-Forest Hills, Lisbon, Mount Plymouth, Okahumpka, Paisley, Pine Lakes, Pittman, Silver Lake, Sorrento, Yalaha.
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 Lake County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 386,221 | 456,068 | ▲ 18.1% | 17th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 101,311 | 118,622 | ▲ 17.1% | 12th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,064 | $54,092 | ▲ 38.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,865 | 11,815 | ▲ 19.8% | 26th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,254 | 1,378 | ▲ 9.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 618 | 1,158 | ▲ 87.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
456,068 people live here, up 18.1% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 1,378, up 9.9% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $71,688 a year. 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 24 MW of capacity, 66% of it other technologies. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Lake County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities.
Who powers Lake County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +4 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Lake 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% |
| Sumter Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 228,855 | 13.09¢ | 7% |
| Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 171,179 | 13.09¢ | 20% |
| City of Leesburg - (FL) | Municipal | Bundled | 24,482 | 12.93¢ | 43% |
| City of Mount Dora - (FL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 16 MW | 66% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 17% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 17% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Covanta Lake County Energy | Covanta Lake Inc | Other technologies | 16 MW | 1990 |
| Cutrale Citrus Juices USA I | Cutrale Citrus Juices USA Inc | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2016 |
| Mount Dora Solar Farm F | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
| Mount Dora Solar Farm W | Green Street Power Partners | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Lake County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 118,622 | $54,092 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 11,815 | $71,415 | 1.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,378 | $71,688 | 1.61 |
| Power and communication line construction | 1,158 | $138,948 | 6.04 |
| Electric utilities | 91 | $121,412 | 0.28 |
| Data processing and hosting | 111 | $107,441 | 0.30 |
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 Lake County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through December 7, 2026 | In force | 2026-09 |
Lake County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | 456,068 | ▲ 17.1% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marion County | 442,660 | ▲ 15.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Orange County | 1,528,002 | ▲ 9.9% | 2,223 MW | — | 12 | 1 |
| Osceola County | 481,718 | ▲ 18.3% | 2,720 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Polk County | 874,790 | ▲ 16.1% | 6,676 MW | 112 MW | 5 | — |
| Seminole County | 491,884 | ▲ 6.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Sumter County | 157,772 | ▲ 33.8% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Volusia County | 606,573 | ▲ 7.7% | 3,324 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Florida
Lake County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lake County, Florida?
5 utilities have service territory in Lake County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Sumter Electric Coop, Inc, Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL), City of Leesburg - (FL). The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Clermont, FL in?
Clermont is in Lake County, Florida. About 52,812 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Leesburg, FL in?
Leesburg is in Lake County, Florida. About 38,905 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Groveland, FL in?
Groveland is in Lake County, Florida. About 25,526 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lake County?
4 operating plants with 24 MW of capacity. The largest is Covanta Lake County Energy (16 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Lake County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lake County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Orange County.
Is Lake County adding jobs?
Employers counted 118,622 jobs in 2025 against 101,311 in 2019 (+17.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 9,865 to 11,815.
Does Lake County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Lake County, 1 in force.