Lee County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs
Lee County hosts some of the generating capacity Florida runs on. Lee County is home to Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Estero. Construction employs 40,321, up 27.2% since 2019, and construction is 2.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Its power plants have 2,740 MW of capacity, 93% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Next door, Collier County has 1 data center.
Cities and towns in Lee County
Lee County is home to Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs and Estero.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alva, Bokeelia, Buckingham, Burnt Store Marina, Captiva, Charleston Park, Cypress Lake, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers Shores, Gateway, Harlem Heights, Iona, Lehigh Acres, Lochmoor Waterway Estates, Matlacha, Matlacha Isles-Matlacha Shores, McGregor, North Fort Myers, Olga, Page Park, Palmona Park, Pine Island Center, Pine Manor, Pineland, Punta Rassa, San Carlos Park, St. James City, Suncoast Estates, Three Oaks, Tice, Verandah, Villas, Whiskey Creek.
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 Lee County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 765,575 | 875,607 | ▲ 14.4% | 8th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 268,846 | 301,860 | ▲ 12.3% | 22nd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,190 | $63,704 | ▲ 37.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31,693 | 40,321 | ▲ 27.2% | 16th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,611 | 3,274 | ▲ 25.4% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 193 | 270 | ▲ 39.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 5.2% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 3,274, up 25.4% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $61,202 a year. Employers here counted 301,860 jobs in 2025, up 12.3% from 2019. Owners plan to retire 39 MW more by 2035, led by Lee County Solid Waste Energy in 2029. 875,607 people live here, up 14.4% since 2020, 8th of 67 Florida counties by population. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Lee County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers Lee County
Utilities with service territory in Lee 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% |
| Lee County Electric Coop, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 231,142 | 13.54¢ | 28% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,557 MW | 93% |
| Petroleum | 124 MW | 5% |
| Other technologies | 59 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Myers | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 2,681 MW | 1958 |
| Lee County Solid Waste Energy | Lee County Board-Commissioners | Other technologies | 59 MW | 1994 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County Solid Waste Energy | Other technologies | 39 MW | 2029 |
The Lee County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 301,860 | $63,704 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 40,321 | $66,895 | 2.52 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,274 | $61,202 | 1.50 |
| Power and communication line construction | 526 | $78,187 | 1.08 |
| Data processing and hosting | 270 | $92,283 | 0.29 |
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 Lee County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lee County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Collier County, Hendry County.
Lee County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Lee County, Hendry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee County | 875,607 | ▲ 12.3% | 2,740 MW | — | — | — |
| Charlotte County | 217,212 | ▲ 17.4% | 236 MW | — | — | — |
| Collier County | 417,131 | ▲ 13.8% | 228 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Glades County | 13,270 | ▲ 11.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hendry County | 48,276 | ▲ 7.6% | 720 MW | 149 MW | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Lee County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lee County, Florida?
2 utilities have service territory in Lee County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Lee County Electric Coop, Inc - (FL). The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cape Coral, FL in?
Cape Coral is in Lee County, Florida. About 236,264 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Fort Myers, FL in?
Fort Myers is in Lee County, Florida. About 101,581 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bonita Springs, FL in?
Bonita Springs is in Lee County, Florida. About 57,634 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lee County?
2 operating plants with 2,740 MW of capacity. The largest is Fort Myers (2,681 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Lee County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lee County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Collier County.
Is Lee County adding jobs?
Employers counted 301,860 jobs in 2025 against 268,846 in 2019 (+12.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 31,693 to 40,321.
Does Lee County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lee County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.